Soleil Boulangerie
by uglifish
Summary: A small, popular bakery opens up across from the university that Yami attends. Seto Kaiba wants to pursue his baking hobby and has worked very hard to land a position at that bakery. He'll be damned if anyone recognizes him, so he decides to change his appearance a bit. Miraculously, Yami doesn't seem to recognize him. Should Seto reveal himself? [AU, SMUT SK/YY]
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: A small, popular bakery opens up across from the university that Yami attends. Seto Kaiba wants to pursue his baking hobby and has worked very hard to land a position at that bakery. He'll be damned if anyone recognizes him, so he decides to change his appearance a bit. Miraculously, Yami doesn't seem to recognize him. Should Seto revealhimself? Dilemmas, love, conflict. SKxYY

**Authors Note:** Rated M for eventual smut and sexually graphic scenes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-gi-oh.

* * *

**Intro**

The empty lot across from campus which had been under construction for months and had finally begun to show progress. What used to be am ugly, crumbled, concrete flat, was now a nice little bakery. _What a relief_, Yami thought as he approached the front. "Soliel Boulangerie",read the sign in large curly font. A flimsy "Now Hiring" sign clung to the door which was held on by single piece of tape, and was fluttering madly against the wind.

It was still dark inside but Yami was very intrigued. He squinted, pressed up against the glass, and peered in. There were boxes stacked sky-high, a couple large screens above the register counter for the a menu, he assumed, and a nice long table set against the windows. It all looked very nice, but seemed like they wouldn't be opening for another few weeks. Yami sighed. Well, at least Yugi will appreciate this place when it opens. He took note of the bakery name once again and went on his way.

"I'm back." Yami called as he stepped into Kame Game Shop.

"Hey!" Yugi exclaimed happily as he dashed out from behind the cashier counter to give Yami a hug. "How was your day?"

"Good." Yami replied, untangling himself from Yugi, "The eyesore has finally become a real bakery. You know, the concrete lot in front of campus?"

Yugi nodded.

"Yes," Yami continued, "Well, it's called 'Soleil Boulangerie' and it looks like it will be a nice place for dates. You and Anzu should check it out and then tell me about it."

"They're done with construction?" Yugi asked, surprised. "Let me look them up, hang on." He walked back around the counter to access the store computer.

"Hmm..oh! Found it!" Yugi said excitedly and turned the monitor towards Yami. "Looks like they're hiring!"

Yami nodded at the screen, "Yes Yugi, but, what do the words mean?" He looked very serious and Yugi burst out laughing.

"Oh, you want to know what the store name actually means?" Yugi smiled and began typing into Google translate. "Okay, let me see...here! 'Soleil' means 'sun' in french, and 'boulangerie' just means 'bakery'. In french." He added, looking at Yami carefully.

"I see." Yami said, nodding. "Well, thank you Yugi. I'll be going upstairs to finish some assignments."

Yugi laughed and gave Yami another hug, "Okay, I'll call you down when it's time for your shift at the counter."

* * *

Kaiba was about to stand up from his desk when he heard the door to his office open slightly. "Seto?" said Mokuba timidly through the crack in the door, "Seto? I'm hungry...".

Kaiba looked up from his laptop and said, "One moment." He finished up his spreadsheet and closed it.  
He then walked swiftly across the room, pulled the door open and picked Mokuba up into his arms.

"Okay. I'll make us some dinner, let's head down." he said quietly.

"Can we eat the pies in the oven?" Mokuba asked, his voice muffled by Seto's shoulder.

"They're not just pies Moki, they're called quiches, and yes." Kaiba replied, carefully stepping into the elevator adjacent from his office.

"Did you make them earlier? I saw you in the kitchen poking around the oven." said Mokuba as the elevator began it's decent. There was a moment of silence as Kaiba took note to how oblivious he'd been to his surroundings when he was baking earlier.

"Yes. I did." Kaiba said quietly. More silence as the elevator continued to slowly make it's way down.

"Fifth floor", chirped the automated voice in the elevator. Kaiba shuffled Mokuba in his arms as he stepped out of the elevator. He set Mokuba down on one of the bar stools by the kitchen and opened the oven.

"Do you know what quiches are, Mokuba?" Kaiba asked as he sliced and placed the quiches onto plates.

"Yea, they're...french pies?" Mokuba ventured.

"That is correct." Kaiba smiled softly and placed a large slice of quiche in front of Mokuba. "Dig in kiddo."

Mokuba's face lit up, "Thanks big brother!" and then he proceeded to stuff his face. "Thish ish sho good Sheto!" he exclaimed with his mouth full.

Kaiba gave Mokuba a small smile in return and said softly, "Glad you like it." He picked up his own fork and began to eat.

"Sheto, haf you ever thought about sharing these wif Yugi and friends? They're delishush!" Mokuba said, shoving spoonfuls of quiche into his mouth.

Kaiba paused, "No Moki, I haven't thought about that." and he continued to chew thoughtfully. Well, earlier today while browsing the internet in his spare time, he did see a job listing calling for experienced bakers and cake decorators at a local bakery. 'I'll go take a look at that again,' Kaiba thought to himself.

"Thank you Mokuba, I'll look into it." Kaiba said, nodding.

"What?" said Mokuba, looking confused.

"Nevermind." said Kaiba shaking his head. "You eat. I'll be upstairs, you know where to find me. Knock on my door when you're ready for bed and I'll tuck you in." He gave Mokuba a quick kiss on the forehead and headed into the elevator.

Kaiba eased into his office chair and opened his laptop. _Damn._ he thought to himself, _What was the name of that bakery? Hmmm..._. Kaiba hummed to himself massaging his temples. "Right. Soleil...Boulangerie...", he said, typing out loud. The webpage loaded and Kaiba was pleasantly surprised. The bakery's colors were mint green with white stripes, and the words 'Soleil Boulangerie, Opening Next Week!' was stamped across the top of the page in large, bold text.

Kaiba scrolled down and found the online application for staffing at the bakery. He clicked on it, and frowned. "Last name, first name" was the first box he had to fill in. He furrowed his brow even further. This would mean he'd have to fill it out with his real name. That would be a problem. The media would have a field day, and he would never hear the end of it. He could see the headlines already, _"Seto Kaiba, working part time at a small bakery, what a joke."_

_I could fake the name, _thought Kaiba, _but what about my appearance. I can put down any name I fucking want, but people will recognize me_.

Kaiba leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. _I can have my stylist deal with that. _Kaiba opened his eyes and sat up suddenly, _Yes! That is my solution. I can have my stylist deal with that._

He looked at the form and began typing, making shit up as he went.  
'Last name,_ Mura_. First name, _Hiroaki_. Age, _24_. Sex, _M_. Phone number...', Kaiba continued until he finished the whole form. He was actually sort of enjoying himself. _Bullshitting is fun_, he thought, _I should do this more often_.

Everything on the form was fake except for his age, gender and phone number. Pleased with his progress, Kaiba sat back to admire his handiwork.

All too soon, he heard a knock that was unmistakably from his little brother. "Seto..I'm sleepy." said Mokuba through the door. Kaiba quickly submitted the form without hesitation and closed his laptop. "I'm coming Mokuba." He strode across the room, opened the door and picked Mokuba up into his arms as he usually did. "Okay kiddo. Bedtime." He shut the door behind him, and carried a very sleepy Mokuba to his bedroom.

**\- End Intro -**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
**

Yami was on his way to his next class when he noticed that the bakery had several people unpacking boxes inside. He decided to be nosy and poked his head in through the door. "Hi there!" he said. One of the workers looked up and nodded in reply. Yami shuffled his feet and asked, "I was wondering when you will be open?"

"Check the website!" yelled the second worker. The first worker looked at his partner tiredly and said, "Jeez Ben, you don't have to be so rude." He wiped his brow with his glove and turned towards Yami, "We'll be open by Monday next week, son. I hope you'll come by to see this place when we're done." He put the glove back on his hand and gave Yami a tiny salute as he bent back down to unpack.

"Thank you." said Yami and he attempted a smile, but then realized that the men weren't paying him any attention. Slightly embarrassed, he shuffled the weight of his bag to his other shoulder and continued on his way.

* * *

Kaiba was in the middle of writing his weekly reports he received an email notification from Soleil Bolangerie. He held his breath and quickly opened the email, barely remembering to save his progress.

_"Hello Hiroaki,_

_We have received your application here at Soleil Bolangerie and we would love for you to join our team! Please expect a call from our manager later this afternoon. Thank you and have a nice day._

_Regards,_  
_Soleil Bolangerie Management"_

Kaiba let out his breath slowly. This is good, he thought, I better not regret this later. He quickly put it out of his mind and went back to work. Several hours flew by unnoticed and Kaiba was about to go on a coffee break when suddenly, his personal cell phone went off. Annoyed, Kaiba saw that it was an unknown number. _Who the hell is this?_

"Hello." Kaiba snapped.

"H-Hello." stuttered a young male's voice from the other end. "I'm Jason, general manager at Soleil Bolangerie. Am I speaking to Hiroaki?"

Kaiba froze for a moment thinking, _Who the hell is..._and then he remembered he was supposed to be Hiroaki. _W__ell, shit._ He then pulled himself together quickly and responded with smooth confidence, "Yes, speaking."

A slight pause on the other end, and Kaiba could feel his pulse in his ears. _I'm an idiot,_ he berated himself, _Why am I nervous. I'm not sixteen, this isn't my first job, why the hell does this even matter?_

"And is your last name Mura?" the man on the other end continued.

"Yes, it is." Kaiba replied as he scrambled to recall the man's name.

"Well, I am looking at your application here and it says that you've never attended a culinary school or program before. " said the man.

_His name was Jason, I'm pretty sure._ Kaiba thought. A_h fuck it, if I get his name wrong so be it._ Kaiba started to speak, "Yes, that is true. I have never attended culinary school, but for me, I am very passionate about my work even though baking is purely a hobby. Self study is one of my strengths."

"Very good." Jason said, "Can you tell me more about what you like to make?"

"Yes of course." Kaiba said, and began to list off a few of his favorite recipes.

"Mmhm." Jason sounded satisfied. "And how flexible would you say your schedule is right now?"

_Shit shit. I clearly didn't think this through, _Kaiba pulse began to race, "Well I..." he paused for a minute to collect his thoughts. _What kind of people work in a bakery? Middle class? Wait, where the hell was this bakery? Across from a university. So then students must work in this bakery. Students have semi-flexible schedules. Well shit, I could technically have a flexible schedule. I just put down some random shit for an address, it looks like I'll actually have to find an apartment surrounded by university students. Shit_.

"Hello? Mr. Mura, are you still with me?" Jason sounded over the phone.

_Godammit! _Kaiba was so angry with himself but he willed himself to stay calm.

"My apologies Jason," Kaiba said evenly, "Yes, as you were saying. I am currently a student so my schedule is pretty flexible. I can do early mornings, late nights, and some afternoons. I also live near the bakery, so if I am needed, I can make myself available to you anytime."

_This better be worth the effort because I am selling so hard right now_, Kaiba thought furiously.

"That sounds great!" Jason said cheerily. He asked several more probing questions and then said, "Well, Mr. Mura, I have a few more candidates to speak with. I hope you have a wonderful day, and please look forward to an email detailing the results of our interview!"

"Thank you very much!" Kaiba enunciated. He hung up, feeling very annoyed with himself. His secretary's voice drifted from the intercom, "Mister Kaiba, you have a meeting in 10."

Kaiba pressed the button to reply, "Move it up a day and say whatever you need to to get it done. Also make an appointment with the stylist this week."

"Yes sir." she said quickly, and the speaker went silent.

* * *

It was a slow afternoon at the Kame Game shop. It was Yami's turn to man the counter and he was feeling quite sluggish. The door jingled open and Yami yawned as he chanted the customary greeting, "Hello and welcome to Kame Ga-", he stopped mid-sentence, in shock. It was Mokuba.

"Hey there." Yami said, looking at him apprehensively. "Where is your older brother? Does he know you're here?"

Mokuba smiled nervously, "Hey Yami! You always know what to ask. He's at work, and no, he doesn't know I'm here." He looked at Yami through his bangs, "I hope you won't tell him. I'm not sneaking out or anything. I mean, I'm safe here, right?"

"Of course you are! And you are _always_ welcome here!" Yugi exclaimed, suddenly running into the shop from the back, "I thought I heard a familiar voice!" Yugi glared at Yami over Mokuba's head as he gave him a hug. Yami shrugged._ I wasn't making him feel unwelcome, Ya_mi thought,_ they were just reasonable questions. Yugi always makes a big deal out of nothing._

"What's up Mokuba?" Yugi asked excitedly.

"Oh wait till you taste this!" Mokuba said eagerly, "Seto made these yesterday night, so they're still fresh. I think it's the best thing he's ever made so far!"

Yami tilted his head to the side slightly, interest piqued. "He made...? What did he make?"

Mokuba shrugged off his backpack, reached inside and proudly held up a large glass tupperware. "These. Seto thinks I ate them all, but I saved some. They're french pies and they're delicious! Come on, try some!"

Yugi and Yami shared a look. Yami spoke first, "Do you mean to say that you smuggled them out of your house without him knowing?"

Yugi glared at Yami a second time and said, "That is a horrible way of putting it, and thank you for thinking of us Mokuba. The rest of the gang is inside, so you came at a good time! Let's eat. Come on in!"

Yugi grabbed Mokuba by the arm and led him into the house, giving Yami another pointed look as they left. Yami sighed as he flipped the 'closed' sign at the door and followed them in.

Mokuba walked into the living room and was greeted with a chorus of, "Heey!" from everyone in the room. Yami headed towards the cabinets and grabbed a stack of paper plates and plastic forks. "Mokuba brought pies!" Yugi announced as he set the tupperware onto the coffee table and began divvying out the portions onto plates.

"Alright!" Tristan and Joey cheered in unison. Anzu and Serenity looked mildly surprised while Mai just ignored everyone completely, her eyes fixated on the TV.

"Will you clowns tone it down, I'm trying to watch Gossip Girl." said Mai, sounding annoyed.

"Dig in guys!" Yugi said, handing out the plates filled with generous portions of quiche. Joey and Tristan began eating noisily while Anzu and Serenity looked uncertain. "Mokuba," Anzu started, "Did you make these?"

Mokuba beamed at her and said, "No, Seto did, aren't they great?"

Upon hearing this, Joey and Tristan began coughing and spitting violently. "Acth! Ackk...ckk..kkk! WHAT!" they yelled.

Mokuba felt guilt swell up in his stomach. "Well, you do like it, don't you?" he asked desperately. He was regretting this by the second. Seto was going to kill him if he ever found out about this.

"Like it?!" Tristan yelled, "It's fucking delicious! What the hell?"

Anzu, Mai, and Serenity tentatively took their first bites. "It's good!" Serenity said, smiling at Mokuba, hoping to diffuse the situation. Anzu and Mai nodded in a agreement, chewing slowly.

Joey was still holding his throat in exaggeration, "It..s..killing...me.."

Yugi turned to Mokuba with his mouthful and said, "Don't worry about those two, trust me, this tastes amazing!"

Mokuba looked visibly upset. Yami didn't hear any of this as he was lost in thought, _These were made by Seto Kaiba himself huh? We'll see._ he mused. He took a bite of his slice and was blown away by the flavor. He slowly closed his eyes to better enjoy the texture. It was delicious. He'd never had anything like it. It was creamy, rich, and very soft. Oh, and the crust was beautiful, it was still flaky and it melted in his mouth.

"Mokuba." said Yami very seriously. "I've never had anything like this before, and I love it."

Mokuba turned towards him, looking as if he was about to cry. "Thank you Yami. I'm glad to hear someone liked it." He opened his mouth to yell at Joey and Tristan for being rude, but then closed it as he realized they'd licked their plates clean.

Yami was watching Mokuba's face very closely, "Would you like us to tell Kaiba in person?" he asked. Mokuba looked startled at the thought. "No! No need. Thank you guys." he said, looking at his toes sheepishly.

Yugi looked around at everyone's empty plates and smiled. "Well thank you Mokuba! We look forward to whatever else you want us to try!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Mokuba felt his face get warm. "Thank you again you guys," he said softly. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and felt a slight twinge of disappointment. "Anyway, I'll be going now!" Mokuba said, smiling widely at everyone.

"Already?" Yami said, surprised.

"Yep!" Mokuba responded as he headed for the door. "Bye guys!"

"Bye!" Everyone chorused.

Mokuba rushed out to the car waiting for him at the curb. He took one last look at Kame Game Shop from over his shoulder and smiled to himself. _I wish Seto could've been there_, he thought as he climbed into the backseat.

* * *

_"Hello Hiroaki,_

_We pleased to inform you that your application has been considered thoroughly and we would like to meet you in person. Please arrive at the bakery around 1PM and a manager will let you in through the back, as our storefront is still currently under construction. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you!_

_Sincerely,_  
_Soleil Boulangerie Management"_

Kaiba read this email over twice and closed it. _Well, I made it through the first screening_, he thought moodily. He closed his laptop and stood up. Where the hell was Mokuba? Kaiba looked down at his phone again and saw that Mokuba had missed his calls twice. That was unusual and worrisome. Just when Kaiba was about to hit redial, Mokuba burst into his office, breathless and excited. "Hey big brother!" he panted, "Sorry I missed your calls, I was at the game shop. I probably couldn't hear my phone over everyone's laughter."

Kaiba twitched with annoyance slightly and sat back down. "Mister Kaiba," his secretary's voice drifted in through the speaker, "You have an appointment with your stylist at 11 am. I have also moved your meeting to Friday, sir."

Mokuba looked at the speaker and then back at his brother. "Stylist? Seto, what's wrong with your hair? I think it looks fine."

Kaiba looked his younger brother in the eye and said, "Mokuba, my hair, my business. Now go."

Mokuba nodded quickly and exited the office.

* * *

** ● Next day **●

Kaiba walked into CC's hair studio and was immediately greeted by Kit, a very flamboyant and openly gay male.

"What's up buttercup?" Kit said in his usual sassy tone. "Setoooo Kaibaa. How are you today, handsome. I'm so sorry about your usual girl, Cecile, she's out. Pregnant. You know, the whole sha-bang. I will be helping you today, and I _hope _we'll get to know each other." He giggled at Kaiba and motioned him towards an open chair.

Kaiba cursed inwardly and mentally made a note to fire his secretary. He sat down stiffly into Kit's chair and began regretting doing so immediately. Kit circled around behind Kaiba, gently brushing his fingers through his brown hair. "So, beautiful, what are we doing today?" he asked.

Kaiba tensed and leaned away from Kit's hands. "I would like to keep the style and length. I need to change the color. Something different." he said stiffly.

Kit smiled happily, "Oooooh, you want to change it up, how about a dye job. Blonde? Red?" he looked down at Kaiba for a reaction, "Green?"

Kaiba shut his eyes momentarily, willing himself to keep it together. "Kit, I need to look professional." he said tensely.

"I see I see." Kit mumbled, his eyes darting around Kaiba's face, "Okayyy, then how about...black! It would look great with your skin tone, plus you would look more Asian!"

_Black huh_, Kaiba thought, _I suppose that would work, as opposed to red or blonde, black seems like the tamer choice._

"Black it is." Kaiba said, looking at Kit apprehensively. "Make it temporary."

Kit gasped, "What, temporary? Oh whyyyy.." He rummaged around his cabinets and returned with three bottles.

"Okay Mr. Handsome, I have three types of black here," Kit presented the 3 bottles in his hands. "Exhibit A, Jet Black, which is the blackest black I have. In the harshest light, it could have a slight purple-ish tint, _very sexy_. Exhibit B, Black Leather. This black is lighter than the first one, only slightly, and in bright light, it could have a dark brown tint. Exhibit C, Charcoal. It's like a super dark brown." Kit tilted his head and pursed his lips at Kaiba. "So which will it be, handsome."

Kaiba sighed. "Kit, I'll take the first one. And did you hear me when I said temporary?"

Kit tsked, "Yes baby, I_ did_. Did you honestly think I only had three bottles of black hair dye? Tsk, _I mean._ These are the best temporary colors we have, were you looking for a wider selection?"

"This is fine." Kaiba responded curtly. "Elaborate."

Kit raised his eyebrows. "Okay, so. When I say temporary, _I mean_ temporary. Like, this will wash out of your hair in the rain, baby. But only if it's pouring. And for twenty minutes straight."

Kaiba wrinkled his brow as he tried to understand. "You're saying it will wash out in twenty minutes."

"When it pours, baby." Kit nodded.

Kaiba took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. "Just, do what you do."

"Okie dokie!" Kit trilled, looking ecstatic. He snapped on some gloves and poured out a thick, black goop. "Listen up handsome, if you want to do this for yourself, you just need 2 large drops of this in your hands." He dabbed two large puddles of hair dye into his palms and rubbed them together. "Spread it around, warm it up a bit, and then massage it into your hair. Make sure to run it through your fingers to get it into all of your gorgeous hair."

Kaiba sat there as Kit massaged the product into his hair. "This is the latest hair technology. I personally love it," Kit continued, "You just leave it in for about 5 minutes and then it sets! Done!" He gestured Kaiba over to the basin.

"This better not stain my clothes." Kaiba said threateningly. He reluctantly leaned his head back into the basin.

"Oh, that's the best part! It'll come right out of your clothes!" Kit exclaimed as he started washing the remnants of the dye out of Kaiba's hair. Kaiba tried to nod, but then realized he couldn't due to the water pressure pushing his head back. Kit wrapped his head up in a towel and led him back to the styling chair. "Drying time!" Kit sang.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and shut them, half dreading what he would see in the mirror when he opened them. He felt Kit rigorously ruffling his hair and then, "All done!" Kit said happily, "Do you like it?"

Kaiba slowly opened his eyes, looked straight into the mirror, and received a slight shock. He had never realized how pale he was, until now. His eyes stood out from his face like a pair of glassy, shiny marbles; very bright and very blue. He'd never seen his eyes accentuated this clearly before. He looked alien and there was a strange feeling in his chest.

"I need to do something about my eyes," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. Kit heard this and laughed, "What! No. You look fine like this!"

"No. My eyes need to change." Kaiba shook his head and he watched the alien in the mirror shake his head too.

Kit gave Kaiba a sideways glance that clearly said 'you crazy, ho', but he obliged and pulled up a second cart beside the chair. "Okay theeese are contact lensess." Kit lisped. "Colored. Prescription and otherwise. What color you want."

Kaiba squinted at his reflection, "What color would make me seem the most approachable."

"Hmm," Kit hummed, "Brown. Brown-eyed guys always seem nicer. As opposed as I am to you covering up those blue beauties of yours, I'd say go with brown."

"Brown it is." Kaiba said. Kit placed the solution and lenses onto Kaiba's lap and watched as he leaned forward to put them in. Kaiba felt the cold lenses touch his eyes and he blinked a few times, getting used to the feeling. He leaned upwards and slowly raised his head to look into the mirror. "Oh my lord." Kit gasped softly.

Kaiba blinked, and blinked again. _Wow, I look like a complete stranger_, he thought. _My bone structure is the same, but how can I look and feel so incredibly different? I look less authoritative. I'm so pale.._. His thoughts were interrupted by Kit's blubbering, "Oh -hic-, you look...so -hic, so _kind._ You look like an _angel_. You look like, someone from heaven came down and touched you..."

"It's just brown contacts." Kaiba growled.

"Hazelnut honey brown, to be specific." Kit beamed."It's got little gold flecks in it if you look closely."

Kaiba leaned in towards the mirror and turned his head from side to side. Yes, at certain points where his eyes caught the light from the side, you could see the gold, but only slightly. "I'll take these." Kaiba said roughly, leaning back, away from his reflection.

"How many pairs? You know you can only wear these for a week before you need to replace them." Kit said, all matter-of-factly.

"5 bottles of the hair dye, 10 pairs of lenses." Kaiba said, trying really hard not to make eye contact with his reflection.

Kit stared wistfully at Kaiba, "Okay coming right up...oh! I have...a question.." he drawled.

"What." Kaiba growled, untying himself from the barber's cape.

"Are you, like, going through a crisis or something?" Kit asked, looking concerned. "Why you gotta go and change your beautiful self?"

Kaiba scrambled for the closest, most believable lie. "I hate the paparazzi recognizing me when I'm out on personal business. This was the easiest solution I could think of. I need to actually be someone else."

Kit looked slyly at Kaiba, "_Personal business_ eh?" He headed back towards the wall of cabinets, "Well if you _really_ want to sell it...here!" Kit pulled out 2 sets of cologne and placed them in front of Kaiba. "You smell like someone else."

"What the hell." Kaiba stared at Kit. "You're joking."

Kit crossed his arms and tilted his hips to the side suggestively. "I joke about many things Seto Kaiba, but I never joke about the way a man should smell."

Kaiba frowned and reached towards the first bottle. He uncapped it and a powerful smell of wood and something moldy invaded his nostrils. He repressed a gag and quickly recapped it. Kit was watching him hopefully, "No? " he asked tentatively. "NO." said Kaiba, trying really hard not to breathe.

Kit looked offended but he tried to hide it. "Well take another leap of faith. Please?" he begged.

Kaiba was not in the mood, but he felt like something possessed him to reach out for the second bottle. He uncapped it, and a warm, light scent crept towards him. Kaiba held the bottle closer to his nose and he took a light breath. It was slightly sweet and smelled like grass after a light rain, but it also had a musky kick towards the end.

Kit smiled knowingly, "Yeaaa, you like that one huh?"

"I'm not much of a cologne person." Kaiba said, feeling conflicted.

Kit laughed loudly. "Oooh you sir, are _hilarious_!" He pulled out a new bottle from behind the counter, pressed it into Kaiba's hand and winked. "My gift to you." he said.

Kaiba didn't have the energy to refuse, so he just handed over his credit card. Kit wrapped up Kaiba's purchases looking very pleased with himself. "Sign here." he said in a singsong voice. Kaiba signed the receipt and held out his hand. Kit looked at it, visibly confused. "You want me to kiss your hand, handsome?" he asked suggestively. Kaiba retracted his hand quickly, regretting his actions. "I'm _joking!_" Kit exclaimed, "Of course I'll shake your hand, you sexy businessman." They shook hands quickly and Kaiba headed out the door.

"Call me!" Kit yelled at Kaiba's back. Kaiba pretended he hadn't heard anything and got into his waiting car.

* * *

**Uglifish's Note**

Hi peoples!

Thank you so much for your support and reviews! I read them every time before I start writing. They're like my motivation :3 Thank you again, and I'll be posting chapter 3 soon!

Love always,  
UF


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Kaiba checked his watch as he eased himself into the backseat of his car. 11:45.

_Th__at whole appointment took 45 minutes, goddamn_, he thought furiously. On the bright side, he looked nothing like himself and had plenty of time before his interview at the bakery.

His driver spoke up suddenly, "Mr. Kaiba, your secretary left you your dry cleaning and a your bag, sir. She asked me to hand it off to you." He reached into the passenger seat and gave Kaiba a large bundle wrapped in plastic.

_What the hell, I didn't have any dry cleaning._ he thought as he unwrapped the plastic. It was a plain grey V-neck T-shirt, a pair of white jeans, and a brown leather messenger bag with a single strap. The tags were still attached to them and all of them read, 'Armani'. There was a note with his secretary's handwriting at the bottom of the bag. "Mr. Kaiba, an appropriate outfit for your interview. Good luck." it said.

_Not bad_, thought Kaiba, and he decided that he would not fire her after all. This thoughtfulness made up for being scheduled with Kit. He stuffed the clothes into his new bag.

"Mr. Kaiba, where would you like be dropped off?" his driver asked.

"Three blocks from the university." Kaiba replied promptly. His driver nodded and Kaiba sat back into his seat, lost in his thoughts. _I am really doing this, _he thought. _Should I tell Mokuba? No. He would probably go blabbing to the Yugi gang, but he means well. This is just another interview..._

"Mr. Kaiba, we have arrived." his driver said, slowing to a stop by the curb.

Kaiba snapped out of his thoughts and carefully stepped out of the car. He pushed the door shut and watched as the car disappeared around the corner. Everything was strangely quiet. He checked his watch and it said 11:55; it had only been a 10 minute ride. Kaiba was unnerved. Where were the flashing lights, the screaming girls, and the long stares from men? He stood up straight and looked around. People were just passing him by on the street, ignoring him. Kaiba cautiously walked down the street, waiting for someone to accost him, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of himself in a window. _Oh my god_, Kaiba mentally slapped himself, _I am not myself, literally!_ He studied his reflection again, thinking, _I look ridiculous wearing this suit. I must find somewhere to change. Also this brown bag clashes horribly with my business attire._

Kaiba quickly continued down the street and reached the outskirts of campus. There was a bus stop full of people nearby, and Kaiba could feel the heat of their stares. He really needed to get out of his suit. He checked his watch. It read 12:15. Shit, Kaiba thought.

"Um excuse me." Kaiba was approached by a guy wearing an ill-fitting suit. "Hey, I was wondering if you know where the business building is?"

_Oh no, please_, Kaiba groaned inwardly. "No, I -" Kaiba was cut off by the youth who continued to talk over him. "I'm late too, so I was hoping you'd show me where it is. I think it's over there..?" He gestured towards a clump of buildings in front of them.

At a loss for words, Kaiba just started walking swiftly towards the buildings, looking straight ahead.

"Thanks man," said the youth, sounding relieved.

Kaiba thought he would feel angrier about this, but then realized that he fit in so well, a freshman had just asked him for directions. They walked past several buildings in silence. The youth started talking to him, about something, but Kaiba wasn't hearing any of it. He felt a sort of strange elation he'd never felt before. Is this what it's like to normal?

The youth was still rambling when Kaiba noticed they had walked past a building named 'Branson'.  
_Branson, wasn't that the name a famous businessman?  
_

"Hey man, wait up!" cried the youth as Kaiba abruptly turned around to enter the building. "Oh hey, we're here!" He said excitedly, "Thanks dude, you're a lifesaver. My names' Tommy." He held out his hand for Kaiba to shake. Kaiba shook it instinctively. "Whoa, firm grip man." Tommy said, "So I guess I'll see you around, Mr...?" Tommy didn't let go of his hand. Kaiba stiffened. "Mr...?" Tommy was really pushing it. "Kaiba." said Kaiba stiffly through gritted teeth. Tommy doubled over laughing, still shaking Kaiba's hand vigorously, "You're hilarious! Well, okay then "_Mr. Kaiba_", it was very nice meeting you!" Tommy turned around, still chuckling to himself as climbed up the stairs.

Kaiba was frozen in place. He stayed that way for several seconds before he could pull himself together again. Right, he needed to change. Kaiba walked into the building in search of a bathroom. Thankfully, the bathrooms were right by the entrance. He quickly slipped into one of the stalls and changed. He folded his suit and tucked it into his brown leather bag. On his way out of the bathroom, Kaiba couldn't help but stop in front of the full length mirror to stare at himself again. His jet black hair went really well with his white jeans and the grey, simple v-neck t-shirt. The brown leather messenger bag made him look younger, more unrefined. The most unnerving thing was the pair of soft brown eyes staring back at him in the mirror. Kaiba shook his head in disbelief and headed out.

* * *

Yami was on his way to his next class when he noticed a tall, raven haired student staring at a campus map on the billboard. He had very chiseled cheekbones and also appeared to be lost. Yami approached the student from behind and asked, "Hey there, are you perhaps, lost?"

Kaiba slowly turned around, dreading who he was about to see. It was Yugi_._

Kaiba cursed inwardly, _of course it would be him. _Kaiba took a good hard look at Yugi, deciding on what he should say._ Wait, this was not Yugi. This Yugi was taller, more commanding, more...mysterious. This had to be the _other_ Yugi. _Kaiba swallowed and tried to contain his rage and embarrassment. "No. Not lost." he said, praying he would be left alone. Yami wasn't so easily fooled.

"What building are you looking for?" he asked innocently.

_ He's trying to be nice, _Kaiba realized. _Well, I must proceed carefully and act completely out of character. I need to be as different from myself as possible_.  
Kaiba cleared his throat and said quietly, "I'm looking for a bakery."

Yami perked up at the mention of the bakery. "Oh! I know where that is! I walk by it every day. Allow me walk you there."

_Seto Kaiba would refuse_, Kaiba thought, _but I am not Seto Kaiba_.  
"Please do." Kaiba said, forcing a small smile.

Yami tilted his head indicating the direction they would be heading in, "Follow me this way."

Kaiba nodded and fell into step with Yami.  
Yami felt strangely excited as they walked together across a spacious courtyard. The presence of this stranger felt familiar somehow. Yami kept glancing up at the tall stranger, taking in his dark hair and very pale skin._ He probably doesn't get out much, and his family must be well off_, Yami noted, _he is well dressed, but not in a flashy way. _

"Are you new around here?" Yami asked, looking over at Kaiba briefly. Kaiba averted his gaze, feeling somehow if they made eye contact, Yami would recognize him instantly. "Yes." Kaiba replied. "Very new."

Yami smiled gently at him, "Well, feel free to ask me more about anything else on campus. I'd be glad to show you around."

Kaiba felt his insides twist up. _I must be very convincing_, he thought. "Thank you." Kaiba murmured. He checked his watch and it read 12:30.

"Nice watch." Yami commented. Kaiba cursed himself for his stupidity, again, for not taking off the watch.

"It was a gift." Kaiba lied. "I could never afford a watch like this for myself."  
_I could afford 50 of these watches,_ Kaiba fumed privately.

"I see," Yami said._ It seems like he is from a wealthy family that spoils him_, Yami concluded.

They continued to walk in silence for while before Kaiba decided it was his turn to ask a nosy question. He looked over at Yami quickly and asked, "So, what are you majoring in?"

"Oh, I haven't decided yet." Yami said simply.

_Damn it_, Kaiba thought, _I'm not being obnoxious enough_. "Do you have a favorite color? What kind of music are you into? What about siblings? Do you have any of those?" Kaiba said, almost spitefully.

Yami was taken aback by the sudden interest. "Yes, I..do. I have a brother." he replied, and that was all he said. Kaiba assumed he was talking about Yugi.

Yami stopped at crosswalk and pointed across the street. "Right over there." he announced. Kaiba looked to where he was pointing and realized they had arrived at his destination. Resisting the urge to just walk away, Kaiba forced himself look Yami in the eye to say thanks. Kaiba snuck a glance over at Yami, only to find that he was already staring at him intently. Their eyes met and Kaiba felt his breath catch in his throat. "Well, thank you." Kaiba said awkwardly.

Yami tilted his head the way he always did when something interested him. "You are most welcome." he replied softly, "I'll see you around." He turned around and walked away.

Kaiba felt a wave of relief wash over him. He had somehow managed to get away without introducing himself. He checked his watch again. 12:45. _Right on time_, he thought, _today has been quite eventful._ After taking a few moments to rehearse fake identity to himself in his mind, Kaiba walked briskly across the street towards the bakery.

* * *

Yami was late to class, but he didn't care. His mind was full of the tall, raven haired student he had just helped._ He was so soft spoken_, Yami mused, _maybe that's why I felt so comfortable in his company. He was clearly very uncomfortable._

Yami reached the door and he stepped inside the lecture hall, closing the door softly behind him. He chose a seat in the far back and settled in. For the next few minutes, Yami tried to gather his thoughts in order to pay attention, but found it incredibly difficult. The professor was so boring, and his mind kept wandering towards a tall, dark haired individual.

_I didn't even get his name_, he thought, _his eyes were so soft._ _I hope I'll be able to run into him again._ Yami shifted himself in his seat, unable to sit still. In the end, he gave up, packed up his stuff mid-lecture, and exited the hall. He wandered around campus lost in thought; for some reason, his feet led him to the edge of campus, right across from the bakery.

_What the hell am I doing here?,_ he thought to himself as he sat down on one of the benches nearby. He leaned back into the bench and looked up at the trees surrounding the street. _Everything is in bloom, it's almost spring_, he mused._ I should meet some new people. If I ever see him again, I will be sure to ask his name._

Yami pulled out his Notebook and decided he would catch up with the coursework online; it was so beautiful outside, why waste it? He stayed that way for about an hour, reading up on the lecture he missed today. Yami was about to leave when he noticed out of the corner of his eye, someone walking out from behind the bakery. He felt a rush of excitement as realized it was the dark haired student from earlier.

_I managed to catch him on his way out_, Yami thought, feeling pleased with himself. He quickly organized his things about him, so as to look busy when the stranger walked by.

Kaiba exited the bakery feeling confident he that he'd done well.

_Should I tell Mokuba about this now?_ he thought uncertainly, adjusting the bag strap on his shoulder. He quickly crossed the empty street, still debating in his mind whether or not it was a good idea to tell his younger brother. Kaiba frowned a little. Why was he so hesitant to share this information with his brother? This was all for laughs anyway. Kaiba reached the end of the street and suddenly stopped when he spotted the other Yugi. He was sitting on one of the side benches, looking quite busy, typing away on his laptop.

_What the hell_, thought Kaiba, _was he here the whole time? I thought he had class!  
_Kaiba slowed his pace, hoping that if he walked quietly enough, he wouldn't be noticed. The other Yugi chose this moment to look up. _Well, shit_, Kaiba cursed, _Now I have to respond accordingly._

Yami waved him over, "Hi!" He called enthusiastically.

_Wow, tone it down_, thought Kaiba sarcastically. His feet reluctantly led him over to the bench where Yami was sitting. Yami neatly tucked his Notebook into his bag and stood up gracefully. "So, I never got your name." Yami ventured.

Kaiba held his breath and said quickly, "Hiroaki Mura. But my friends call me Hiro."  
_What friends?_ Kaiba thought angrily, _now if he asks about my so-called "friends" I'll have to start making up more names_.

Yami smiled and said, "I'm Yami. Nice to meet you!"

_Nice to meet you too, you Yugi Imposter,_ Kaiba thought spitefully. But what came out of his mouth was, "That's a nice name. Good to meet you too." He ended that statement with a small, tight-lipped smile.

Yami took that as a positive thing and said, "Well Mura-san, like I said earlier, I'd love to show you around. So how about we hit up the Brown Bear Cafe on campus?"

Kaiba inwardly cringed at Yami saying his false name and quickly decided to correct it. "Please call me Hiro." Kaiba said, glaring at Yami.

_Wow, his eyes are intense_, Yami thought. He then paused for a moment and said, "Wait, you want me to call you Hiro? That means we're friends right?"

"Right." Kaiba responded, struggling to keep his face neutral as his blood boiled._ He's from the Yugi-gang alright_, Kaiba thought furiously, _not a second goes by without the word "friendship"_.

"To the cafe then." Yami said, looking at Kaiba for a response. Kaiba nodded, deeply regretting everything he was about to do, and said, "Show the way."

They set out across campus together, Yami occasionally pointing at buildings and explaining what subjects they corresponded with. Kaiba didn't hear any of it; he was too nervous. _Why the hell am I so agitated?_ thought Kaiba, _I wasn't even this agitated for my interview at the bakery._

Yami pointed at another building, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, feeling very uncomfortable. They walked in silence for a bit more until Kaiba decided to ask, "Why are you doing this?"

Yami shrugged casually and said, "I wish someone had done this with me when I was new around here. I didn't attend any of the campus tours. I would've much rather had a friend show me around."

_I guess that makes sense_, Kaiba thought.

"Oh look, we're here. Brown Bear Cafe. Doesn't everything look nice?" Yami said and stopped in front of a large white building with a front patio. There was outdoor seating, shielded by large overhead umbrellas with bear ears sticking out on top. Kaiba was slightly amused, "The umbrellas are nice."

Yami smiled and agreed, "Everything in this cafe is bear themed."

Upon hearing that, Kaiba felt less amused and more repulsed. _Everything is going to be cute. Great._

They entered the cafe and was seated immediately by a waitress wearing all brown, and a headband with a pair of bear ears that matched the ones outside on the umbrellas. "Welcome to the Brown Bear Cafe! I'm Mindy, and I'll be your server today." she chirped,"Here are your menus! Take your time!" she winked at Kaiba and said, "I'll be right back with some water!" She walked away, leaving Kaiba in horrified silence and Yami, not the least bit bothered.

"The girls here are nice," Yami commented as he studied his menu.

"Yes. Very cute." Kaiba said forcefully, composing himself and trying really hard not to sound sarcastic. He opened his menu and almost had an aneurysm. Everything was a horrible bear pun.

_A beary cherry sundae are you shitting me?!_ Kaiba thought deliriously, _And what the hell is a 'Grin and Bear it' pasta? It sounds so fucking unappetizing. _He was now ultimately regretting coming here at all. Yami looked over and said, "So, Hiro, do you see anything you like?"  
Kaiba shut his menu delicately and said, "I'm not sure, why don't you order for us. I'll go with whatever you like. I'm not that hungry." _I'm going to 'grin and bear it',_ he thought sarcastically.

Their waitress came back with their drinks and pulled out her pen and tab, "So gentlemen, what'll it be?" Yami nodded at her and began to list their orders. "We will have a Beary Green Tea to share, and a Beary Sweet Honey toast, and a side of mini croissants." The waitress nodded, smiled and said happily, "Alrighty, I'll be right back with those for ya!" She turned to go and Kaiba moodliy watched her back as she went. Yami noticed this and said, "You like her?"

Kaiba was startled and then snorted at the question, "What! No. Absolutely not."

Yami raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, you must have a type?"

_I know where this conversation is going and I refuse to participate_, Kaiba thought angrily, _time to change the subject_. "I'm just worried about my interview earlier." he lied.

"Interview?" Yami asked, intrigued. "At Soleil Boulangerie?"

"Yes." Kaiba replied simply.

"Ahh..." Yami nodded.

They sat in silence until their waitress came back. "Beary Green Tea for two." She said, carefully placing a teapot with a bear shaped lid onto the table, followed by two bear shaped tea cups with rounded ears on the rim. "Enjoy." she said as she smiled and left.

Kaiba reached for the teapot first, desperate for something to do. "Let me." he said and he poured them both a cup. Yami noticed how long and slender Hiro's fingers were as he gripped the handle of the tea pot. "Your fingers...are nice." Yami said softly, "Do you play an instrument?"  
Kaiba carefully set the tea pot down and said, "No."_ It's from years and years of typing_, he thought bitterly, _not that it makes a difference_.  
"I see." Yami said, feeling slightly frustrated with the one worded answers he was receiving. He then remembered the questions Hiro had asked him earlier and said, "My favorite color is a very dark violet. I don't really listen to much music, maybe you can recommend something for me?"

"What?" said Kaiba, confused. He then remembered his attempt at obnoxious questions earlier in the day when Yami walked him to the bakery. It was backfiring horribly.

"Tell me more about your brother." Kaiba said, trying to sound earnest.

Yami took a sip of his tea and said slowly, "Well, we're very close. We run a game shop together. Kame Game Shop, maybe you've heard of it. Anyway, you should come by sometime. A lot of my friends like to come by and meet up there to just enjoy each others' company."

_Well shit, I've just earned myself an invitation to the dweeb cave_, thought Kaiba darkly. _This can only get worse._ Kaiba nodded again and said, "That sounds nice."

Thankfully, the waitress came back with more of their orders. "Here is your Beary Sweet Honey Toast," she said, setting down a thick square slice of sticky, yellow bread with a bear's face toasted on top, "and your croissants." and she quickly left.

Yami motioned towards the food, "Dig in."  
Kaiba raised his eyebrows in reluctance and said, "After you."  
Yami gave Kaiba a long hard look, "No. After _you_."  
Kaiba sighed and reached for a croissant_. _On the outside, he appeared content, but on the inside, Kaiba was pissed_. He's fucking with me_, he thought furiously.

They continued to eat in silence. Kaiba took a bite of his croissant and felt annoyed when it wasn't as crispy as he liked it. He put on a tight smile and said to Yami, "These are good, but they're not fresh."

Yami nodded and said teasingly, "Yes, you would know. You're a baker after all."

Kaiba was annoyed. "I'll take that as a compliment, thank you." he said stiffly.

Yami laughed deeply and Kaiba felt his chest tighten, "Let me know when you'll be in the bakery. I'll stop by to visit."

Kaiba had never seen Yami laugh like that. His Hiroaki Mura disguise must be very disarming. They ate quietly and Kaiba felt uncomfortable with the silence.

_I should say something_, he thought, brushing his black hair from his eyes.

"I'm an only child." Kaiba said, looking at Yami with his soft brown eyes, "I was usually quite lonely, so please excuse me if I don't make good conversation at times. It's just that I'm not used to being around people, especially for long periods of time." _Well, most of that was true, except for the first statement_, Kaiba thought guiltily. Yami seemed genuinely interested, "Well now you have a new friend." he said. Kaiba nodded in agreement, at a loss for words. They finished the rest of their food and tea in silence. This time, Kaiba didn't feel as if the silence was awkward or strange; instead, it was quite pleasant. He was actually enjoying himself a little, despite his surroundings.

The waitress came by with their tab and Kaiba instinctively reached for it, but Yami was quicker. Their hands touched slightly and Kaiba felt a tingling sensation go up his arm. He withdrew his hand quickly and Yami triumphantly grabbed the tab. "I'm paying," He said darkly, "don't even think about it."

Kaiba glowered as Yami busied himself with the tab. He hated owing people money and favors, especially if they were his rivals. But the situation was already unfolding in such a way that there was nothing Kaiba could do, other than say, "Thank you. It will be on me next time."

_If there ever is a next time_, Kaiba thought spitefully.

They stood up from the table and headed exited the cafe. "Have a beary nice day!" Their waitress called after them. Yami waved at her and Kaiba felt like vomiting.

Standing outside in the spring sunshine, Yami squinted up at Kaiba and said, "Hiro, I hope I'm not wearing you out."

_His company actually hasn't been all that bad_, thought Kaiba.  
"Not really." Kaiba responded.

Yami smiled mischievously, "Then please join me at the Kame Game shop for the rest of the afternoon. "

Kaiba felt his stomach do a flop. He couldn't refuse, that would be out of character.  
"I would love to" Kaiba choked.

Yami felt a rush of elation. He smiled warmly at Kaiba and tilted his head towards the street. "I'm glad you accept. This way then."

Kaiba nodded at Yami and the two of them set off together across campus, walking side by side.

* * *

**Uglifish's Note**

Hi peoples!

I hope you like where this is going! Please let me know what you think! Your reviews are the rainbow jellies to my peanut butters. :3 I Usually update every few days and I'm super motivated to write the next bit, but I'm going to be out of town for a week. D: So please, bear with me and understand that I haven't abandoned youuu!  
Please look forward to a very sexy scene at Yami's place. -wink wink-

Love always,  
UF


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Kaiba stood behind Yami and watched him pat his pockets for the keys. He felt very apprehensive. A pit was forming in his stomach the whole way there, and now that they stood at the door, he felt even worse.

Yami located the keys and opened the door. "Come on in." he said, motioning him towards the shop. Kaiba slowly stepped inside, noting that everything was still the same as he had last seen it several months ago. Yami turned to Kaiba and said, "So Hiro, what do you think?"

Kaiba tried not to flinch at hearing his false name. He glanced around the shop enthusiastically, pretending to be interested and said,"It's very impressive."

Yami nodded, his dark violet eyes firmly fixated on Kaiba's face, watching his every move. Kaiba noticed this and put on his best business smile, "I assume you and your brother manage this shop together?" Yami nodded in response again, eyes still fixed on Kaiba's face. Kaiba felt his face get hot. "What, did I cut myself shaving?" he asked slowly, purposely avoiding eye contact.

Yami lowered his gaze and shook his head slowly, "No. You just...remind me of someone." His voice trailed off and they stood in there in silence for a few moments. Kaiba could feel his heartbeat in his ears as he waited to Yami to say something.

"Anyway!" Yami said suddenly looking alert, "Let's head into the back."  
Kaiba nodded and followed Yami around the counter towards the door at the back of the shop, leading into the Motou residence. Yami opened the door and stepped inside, "Hiro, shoes off please." he said. Kaiba inwardly flinched again as he slid off his shoes.

As Kaiba was stepping into the small hallway, he accidentally brushed up against Yami, roughly bumping him into the wall. _Shit!_ Kaiba thought frantically, "Sorry." he said gruffly. He tried to move out of the way, but then realized that Yami was trapped between his shoulder and the wall. For a moment, Kaiba could feel Yami's warm breath on his arm. He felt Yami's warmth travel all the way up from his arm and into his chest. Yami felt his cheeks get warm as he looked directly into Hiro's soft brown eyes, _We're so close to each other,_ he thought. Kaiba met his gaze and held it there before shifting again nervously.

"Be careful." Yami chuckled, gracefully ducking around behind Kaiba to shut the door. Kaiba looked down and said nothing, trying to compose himself by looking busy adjusting his bag strap. Kaiba was furious. _What the hell was that?!_, he thought angrily.

"Don't worry too much about it," Yami said coolly, as if reading Kaiba's mind. "Here, come on in." Kaiba nodded and followed Yami into the living room.

_Everything is neat_, Kaiba mused, _the open kitchen with the matching dining set makes everything look... wait. _ Kaiba spotted a glass container on the kitchen counter and froze. It looked very similar to the one he had put leftover quiches into for Mokuba the other night. It couldn't be..._his_ glass container, could it?

Yami noticed Hiro's attention straying. "This is the first floor," Yami said, straining to make eye contact with him, "Hiro, is something wrong?" Yami saw that Hiro was staring at the kitchen with a strange expression. Kaiba snapped out of his inner monologue and faced Yami with the most charming smile he could muster. "Yes, everything is fine."

Yami was taken aback by the sudden lightness. He mentally took a snapshot of Hiro's smile and tucked it away in his mind for later. "So, second floor is this way." Yami said, heading towards the back of the living room, motioning towards a staircase. Kaiba raised his eyebrows at Yami, "Up?" he asked innocently.  
Yami felt himself blush slightly, "Yes. Why not." Yami headed up the stairs and Kaiba followed him closely from behind.

Yami felt his nerves get worsen with each step. _He's a complete stranger!_ Yami thought, _I met him today! I barely remember his last name and I'm inviting him up? What the hell is wrong with me?!_

Meanwhile, Yami's ass was right in Kaiba's face, and Kaiba couldn't help but smirk and admire the view. _This is hilarious,_ Kaiba thought, _if only he knew who I actually was, he would be mortified._ Kaiba briefly entertained the thought of an embarrassed Yami, blushing and yelling angrily at him to look away.

They reached the top of the stairs and Yami headed for the farthest room down the hall. All the doors to the other rooms were closed. "This is my room." Yami said, beckoning him towards the room. Kaiba walked up to the doorway swiftly and looked inside. It was a well-lit, warmly furnished room with a sloping roof. There was a medium sized desk that had several stacks of Duel Monster cards on it and a large bookshelf.

_Hmph. Nothing special, as expected, but there's no bed. How strange. _thought Kaiba. Yami looked anxiously at Hiro and said, "What?"

Kaiba furrowed his brow and asked, "Where is your bed?"

"Oh," Yami let out his breath nervously, "The beds are next door in my brother's room. We prefer to sleep together." Kaiba nodded stiffly.

Yami made eye contact with Hiro briefly and then quickly looked away, blushing slightly. "So, seen enough?" Yami asked hopefully.

"Yes.", Kaiba answered quietly. Yami closed the door to his bedroom and headed back down the stairs. Kaiba followed, thinking desperately of an excuse that would allow him to leave without sounding rude. They reached the bottom of the stairs and before Kaiba could even open his mouth to say anything, Yami sat down on one of the couches in front of the TV and patted the spot next to him.

"Hiro," Yami said with a slight smile, "Come. Sit." He patted the seat next to him again.

Kaiba just stood there. _No_._ No. No. ! _Kaiba thought furiously.  
"I can't, I...have to go." Kaiba said lamely.  
Yami felt a pang of disappointment. "Oh. I see." Yami was clearly upset and Kaiba felt slightly guilty for shooting down the request so quickly without reason.

_I need to be convincing, think of an excuse you idiot!_ Kaiba berated himself._ I'll mention the bakery again._

"Well," Kaiba started, "I could stay longer, but only for a bit, because I have to be up early to prepare pastries for the bakery tomorrow. We're doing some test batches."

Yami sat up straight, "Really?! That's great! I promise I won't keep you long."  
Kaiba breathed a small sigh of relief. Imposter Yugi had bought his stupid bakery lie.  
_I'll stay for about 10 minutes and then bail,_ Kaiba promised himself.

He walked over to the couch, feeling his heartbeat get louder with each step. He cautiously sat down beside Yami.

Yami was busy with the remote, searching for something to watch. Kaiba stared at Yami's graceful, long fingers as he tapped the remote rhythmically. He let his eyes wander up past Yami's arm and towards his face.

_I've never been up this close to him before_, Kaiba realized. Yami was still switching channels around and hadn't noticed Kaiba's intense staring.

_His features are actually quite delicate,_ Kaiba continued to muse._ Seeing Imposter Yugi up this close feels ...strange._ Kaiba unconsciously leaned closer towards Yami, studying him closely. _ Actually, come to think of it, he looks nothing like Yugi. His features are sharper than Yugi's. His che__ekbones frame his eyes quite nicely and his skin, it looks soft..._

Kaiba leaned in even closer. It was like he couldn't see enough of Yami from this angle. He needed to see more. _Imposter Yugi needs to turn around and face me dammit_, Kaiba thought, annoyed.

Yami stomach did a nervous flip as he felt Hiro lean in closer towards him. _He's leaning in quite a bit, is he falling asleep?_ Yami thought. He turned his head to look over and found himself nose-to-nose with Hiro.

"Wh-" Yami froze, too stunned for words. Hiro's deep brown eyes were burning right through him, making him feel strangely hot all over. Yami struggled to say something, "Hey, so I was wondering...what..you...-" His breath hitched in his throat and he couldn't finish the sentence. _Our faces are so impossibly close!_ _Our noses are practically touching!_ Yami thought frantically, his breath quickening with each passing second. _This can't be happening._

Kaiba blinked slowly, drinking in the sight of Yami, who's cheeks were tinged pink with blush.

_What the hell is wrong with him?_ Kaiba thought, his chest throbbing painfully. _Why is he acting strangely. __Did he figure it out? That must be it! He knows! He knows I'm Seto Kaiba. That's why he looks so agitated._

Kaiba lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes in defeat, waiting for his rival to explode at him. All he could do was repeat the phrase, "_he knows, he knows!"_, over and over in his head.

Yami was taking light, gasping breaths, trying to hide his nervousness. _He's closed his eyes?! What does he want?!_ _Does he want me...to ...but I can't!_ _Can I?  
_  
After debating for a few seconds, Yami's curiosity got the better of him. _What is meant to happen will happen_, Yami thought and he threw caution to the wind. He closed his eyes and gently pushed his forehead up against Hiro's, nudging his head upwards, his spiky blond bangs meshing with Hiro's jet black hair.

Kaiba's eyes shot open as he felt a warm breath on his forehead. Yami's lips were hovering just above the bridge of his nose. _What the...?  
_  
Kaiba tried to move back but found himself tilting his head upwards instead. His nose brushed past Yami's and their lips met, ever so gently.

Yami felt his brain hum and shut off as he inhaled Hiro's strange, sweet scent. Somewhere in the back of his head, a voice was telling him he was kissing a stranger he had just met today. But everything was so warm. Hiro's lips...were soft. And he smelled so musky and delicious. Yami could feel Hiro's light stubble pressing gently against his chin. That feeling alone made his pants grow tight and uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Kaiba felt the floor dip down violently from beneath him and the room swam before his eyes. Frantic thoughts ran through his head. _Kissing. I am kissing Imposter Yugi_._ Our mouths are touching. I have surely gone insane...! This feels strange. This is wrong! We're two grown-ass men...but I_ _feel.. -_

Kaiba's thoughts were interrupted by faint voices in the hallway by the door. He blinked wildly, unsure of what to do, as Yami's eyes were still closed. He could hear laughter and the voices getting louder and louder.

_How is he not hearing this?! _Kaiba fumed silently_.  
_  
And then there was a faint _click_.

_Did I just hear the lock click open?! _Kaiba panicked and jerked his head back suddenly, causing Yami to stiffen at the sudden loss of contact. And at that, the front door banged opened and the Yugi-gang spilled into the room, talking and laughing excitedly.

"Dude, you should've seen his face when he the ball hit him in the leg!" Joey exclaimed, and the whole group laughed.

_Shit,_ thought Kaiba, and he willed himself to remain passive. _They're too busy joking around._ _There's no way they would've seen us._

Yami stood up shakily and composed himself quickly.  
"Oh hey Yami! Who's your friend?" asked Yugi with a big smile. Everyone went silent and looked towards the couch.

"Everyone, this is Hiro." Yami announced, gesturing for Kaiba to stand up, "I met him on campus. We were...getting to know each other."

Kaiba stood up to face the Yugi-gang. Hovering around at the front of the group, was Mokuba. Kaiba's mouth went dry and he felt as if a bolt of lightning struck him where he stood. _I'm busted, _he thought_, My cover is blown_. _If Mokuba doesn't recognize me first, Wheeler surely will._ Kaiba could literally feel his skin sliding off of his face at the heat of everyone's stares.

"Go on, say something. They don't bite." Yami said, smiling a little.

_I must be confident! _Kaiba thought viciously._ If I believe in what I'm saying, they will believe it too. ___Stay in character!__

"H-Hi everyone. My name is Hiro. Nice to meet you." said Kaiba quietly, his voice trailing off at the end.

"Hey hey, ya don't gotta be shy 'round us guys! Nice to meet ya, I'm Joey!" Joey held out his hand enthusiastically. Kaiba shook it firmly and looked Joey straight in the eye, searching for signs of recognition in his face, but found none. Joey was grinning at him in his usual stupid fashion.

_They fell for it?_ Kaiba thought hopefully, trying to maintain a neutral expression.

"Welcome dude!" Tristan said loudly, "Now who's hungry?!"

A chorus of "Ooh me's" rippled through the group. Mokuba spoke up, "Hey guys, remember the pies I brought last time?"

Kaiba froze upon hearing this. _Pies?! He brought my quiches here?!_

Everyone nodded. "Well," Mokuba continued, "Seto made some cookies last night! They're seashell shaped and they taste amazing!" The Yugi gang made noises of approval.

Kaiba couldn't help but ask, "Seto?"

Mokuba looked directly at him and said, "Seto is my older brother. You should try them too New Guy, you'll be blown away!"

_New guy?!_ Kaiba could not believe what he was hearing. His little brother was sharing his precious creations with this group of morons? And on top of that, he didn't recognize him! Kaiba was now starting to feel unnerved.

The Yugi-gang gathered around the dining table. They _ooh_-ed and _ahhh-_ed as Mokuba pulled out a glass container filled with Kaiba's Madeline cookies.

"I'll get the plates!" Anzu sang.  
"And I'll get the napkins!" Serenity added.  
Everyone else was milling around the kitchen, chatting happily.

Kaiba watched the scene unfold with disbelief. Yami nodded in his direction and said, "Let's join them. Any questions so far, Hiro?"

Kaiba felt his eye twitch involuntarily, "No questions, I think I need to leave now."

"Awwwh!" Mokuba groaned, "But you _have_ to try one before you leave!"  
A chorus of "yea"s echoed around the kitchen. Kaiba was trapped with no way out.

"Thank you, but I've had those cookies before." Kaiba said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Yea," Mai nodded, "I'm sure. But it's not every day you get to eat some cookies made by Seto Kaiba himself, hm?"

_Act surprised. Stay in character._ Kaiba steeled himself to face Mai, "Wow! You're not joking, are you?" _That sounded way too sarcastic,_ Kaiba thought, bracing himself.

Mokuba turned towards him with a proud huff, "Nope! It's the truth! I am Mokuba Kaiba. And my big brother makes the best cookies you'll ever eat!"

Kaiba tried to suppress a look of pride. "I see. Nice to meet you, young Mr. Kaiba. I will be staying for some of those amazing cookies you speak of."

Yugi walked over and handed him a cookie, arranged nicely on a small plate with a napkin beneath it. Kaiba took it and thanked him. Yugi smiled a glowing smile at Kaiba and said, "Eat up!"

Kaiba dipped his head down and took a bite. He could feel Mokuba watching him closely. He lifted his head and smiled genuinely, "Hey, this is really good!"

No one was paying him any attention. Yami had left his side and was leaning over the kitchen counter pouring out a few glasses of water. They were all too busy stuffing their faces. Kaiba didn't know how to feel. He felt a strange pang of...something, bubble up in his chest. He quickly finished his cookie, set his plate down loudly, and picked up his bag, trying to make as much noise as possible. Everyone noticed and looked up.

"Leavhing sho shoon?" Tristan asked with his mouth full, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere.

"Ew Tristan, gross!" Anzu cried.

Kaiba smiled a, what he hoped was, a gentle smile, "Yea. I've got early hours tomorrow. It was nice meeting everyone."

Everyone looked slightly confused. Yami spoke up, "Hiro is employed at that new bakery opening across campus next week. He needs to be there early to make test pastries."

"Ooohh!" Serenity squealed, "Please let us know when that will be! The decor inside that bakery is so adorable!"

Kaiba felt his throat close up. _Great, now the whole dweeb gang will be there on opening week._ "Yes, I will definitely keep you all updated." he said, and he moved towards the door.

"Wait! I'll walk you out." Yami said, hurrying towards him.

Kaiba bobbed his head stiffly towards the Yugi-gang, "Thank you. Goodbye."  
"Byye!" Everyone yelled, not even glancing in his direction.

Kaiba hurried towards the exit in the hallway. Yami had already gone out and had left the door open. Kaiba quickly slipped on his shoes and walked through the shop to the very front where Yami stood waiting for him.

"So..." Yami ducked his head shyly. "I will see you around?"

Kaiba nodded. "Yes. Around." He slid past Yami and exited the shop.

"Wait!" Yami's voice rang out behind him. Kaiba felt his insides clench up again.

"Yes?" Kaiba asked, without turning around.

"How can I contact you?" asked Yami, sounding slightly out of breath.

Kaiba closed his eyes for a solid 3 seconds. _Good lord in heaven, I might have to give him my phone number._ _Wait. No. I can find a way around this._

Kaiba turned around to face Yami, "Same time same place tomorrow? I should be done with my morning shift by noon." _And with any luck I'll be dead by then_, he thought viciously.

Yami tilted his head and nodded slowly. "I will see you then." He smiled softly and gently closed the shop door.

Kaiba waited for a bit to see if Yami would open the door again. _Was it over?_ Nothing happned so he turned his heel and started to walk brusquely down the street. He reached a street corner and walked into a deserted alley way. Kaiba took a deep breath in, held it, and leaned his back against the dirty brick wall. He was shaking from head to toe.

_Mokuba didn't recognize me!__ No one recognized me! _Kaiba screamed inside his head, _and_ _I was kissed by Imposter Yugi! Or did I kiss him?! I don't know!_

His breathing was ragged and erratic. _I need to get out of here. I need to think! I can't tell Mokuba now. I can't tell anyone! Perhaps I should disappear. Hiro should disappear. No! I've worked too hard and gotten too far!_

Kaiba spun and around and punched the brick wall. He felt his skin scrape the stone and start to sting._ I will see this bakery job through to the end, obstacles are just obstacles. I can and will overcome this, just like anything else. _

Kaiba took another deep breath and let it out slowly. _Okay. Hiro's story needs to be air tight and Seto Kaiba's story also needs to be air tight. Much planning needs to be done. If I play my cards right, Hiro can eventually disappear after working a few months at the bakery._

Kaiba reached for his phone, but paused as he came to a shattering realization. Hiro was a complete stranger to the Yugi-gang, and has a clean slate. That meant he could re-forge friendships and correctly adjust any misconceptions the Yugi-gang ever had of him. Kaiba leaned his head back against the wall. This could be fun, but it could also be excruciatingly painful. Was that why Yami had kissed him?

_Since when was Imposter Yugi gay? _Kaiba shook his head quickly, dismissing the images that rose to the front of his mind. He took out his phone and dialed for his car to pick him up around the corner. He will think about that later.

* * *

**Uglifish's note**

Hi guys!

Hope you liked this chapter! Please let me know what you think 3  
I'll try to upload the next chapter soon!

Love,  
UF


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. ...Bzzzt. ...Bzzzt!  
_  
Kaiba slowly lifted his eyelids as light crept in from the corners of his vision. He shut off the alarm and roused himself groggily. The events of last night began to drift back into his mind. The Yugi-gang smiling at him from the dining table, Imposter Yugi's face, impossibly close to his, while sitting on the couch at the dweeb cave, everyone acting as if Seto Kaiba wasn't sitting among them...Kaiba shut his eyes tightly, willing his mind to go blank.

There was a soft knock on his door. "Come in." he said automatically.  
Mokuba sleepily poked his head in through the door, "Seto...I woke up too early, and I didn't sleep well..."  
Kaiba lifted the sheets beside him and patted the spot next to him, "You can sleep here while I get ready for the bake-...work," he caught himself just in time. Thankfully, Mokuba wasn't listening.

Mokuba got settled into his bed."Seto, I hope it's okay that I shared some of your pie with Yugi...and friends." he said, yawing widely.

_Yeah, I was there, _Kaiba thought, feeling an uncomfortable twinge in his chest as he remembered Mokuba calling him "New Guy."

"I hope they liked it." he responded gruffly. Mokuba nodded sleepily, his head already buried underneath the covers. Kaiba smiled gently down at Mokuba, pushed the covers back a little, and kissed his forehead.

Kaiba furrowed his brow in annoyance as he checked the time. _4:45?_ _Wow, it is early for Mokuba to be up. And I'm going to be late for opening-prep at the bakery. _

He glanced at his closet and then realized,_ Shit! I don't have any other clothes that won't make me look like a freak from the Debate Club on campus. And I can't wear the same shit from yesterday, that would be a fucking embarrassment to my name!_

He sat down at his desk and quickly made a call to his secretary's personal phone. It rung through to voicemail. He felt a mixture of anxiety and panic bubble up from his stomach. He hit re-dial. It rung once, twice, three times, and at the fifth ring, he heard his secretary's voice stammer through the phone. "O-HH! H-hello! Good morning Mr. Kaiba..ah!"

_Oh thank god_, Kaiba thought, and said quickly, "Hey. I know it's early but I'm calling about the clothes."

"Mr. Kaiba, I knew you would like them! I left you 2 extra sets of shirts with denim jeans in the backseat of your limo for today!" She sounded genuinely happy about it. Kaiba felt relief wash over him, "Thank you."

"And before you hang up, Mr. Kaiba," she continued, "I don't know if you'd like for me to keep shopping for you, or if you would rather expand this casual wardrobe yourself?"

"I can take care of the rest myself." Kaiba replied stiffly, "You've done really well. I need two more things from you. 1, a burner phone, preferably an older model of the phone I have now; register with a different phone number. And 2, search for empty, or fully furnished apartments around the university. No roommates. Get that old phone on my desk by this afternoon before 4PM and email me your top 5 apartment options by the end of today. "

"No problem Mr. Kaiba!" she chirped.

"Your hard work is greatly appreciated." Kaiba said. He hung up and walked quickly into the bathroom, mentally preparing himself for his cosmetic transformation into Hiro The College Student.

He was feeling very apprehensive about applying the hair dye himself, unprofessionally, for the first time. _What did Kit say? 2 large drops?_

Kaiba slid on a pair of disposable gloves and heaped the black goop into his palms. He looked himself in the mirror one last time, gritted his teeth, and started running his dye-filled palms through his hair. _I look ridiculous, _Kaiba thought as he looked at the black matted, tangled, mess that was his hair. He stepped into the shower to rinse and got out quickly.

As he was towel drying his hair, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that the dye did not have any run-off color, therefore keeping his towel free of all suspicious black stains. He grabbed the hair dryer and styled his hair as usual. Kaiba turned his head left and right in the mirror to examine his handiwork. _Good, it seems I was thorough enough, my brown roots are all covered._ _So far so good, now for the contacts._

Kaiba carefully arranged the contacts on the counter and expertly placed them into his eyes. He blinked several times, feeling the lenses settle into place.

_All done!_ Kaiba crowed triumphantly to himself. _I'll never get used to this_, he thought as he stared at his reflection with disbelief. _Wait, the cologne! I almost forgot!_

Kaiba ran out of the bathroom and grabbed his brown shoulder bag from inside his closet. He felt around for the cologne Kit had gifted him with yesterday. He gripped the slender glass jar and spritzed himself quickly, twice around the neck.

He walked back into the bathroom and quietly stowed the cologne away on the highest shelf of the cabinet, along with the bottles of hair dye. Kaiba made sure to move two larger bottles of shampoo to the front, blocking them from view._ That ought to do it, no one should be nosy enough to go digging around back here,_ Kaiba thought, feeling satisfied.

He headed for the door. Kaiba grabbed his coat, took one last look at the sleeping Mokuba, and headed downstairs where his driver was waiting.

* * *

Yami rolled over in his bed and stared at the ceiling, watching the morning light filter in in strips through the blinds. He glanced at the clock, it read 5:30 am. _Ugh, too early._ He shut his eyes and sighed. It's was no use. Sleep eluded him. He kept picturing Hiro's face with his eyes closed and his black bangs brushed messily across his forehead..._What if he had brown hair?_ Yami mused. _He would look like Seto Kaiba...almost. Except Seto Kaiba always smelled like strong coffee._

Yami sighed and pictured Kaiba brushing past him, followed by the overwhelming scent of brewing coffee. He took a deep breath, remembering the smell._ Mmmmm, Y_ami sighed and snuggled deeper into his bed._ Come to think of it, Hiro has a strange smell too! What was it..._He took a another deep breath, trying to mentally re-create Hiro's scent from the couch. Nothing.

_ I need to smell it again_, Yami thought, feeling extremely frustrated. He opened his eyes. _What if the couch still smelled like him? _Yami sat up suddenly. It was worth a shot. He got up quietly, being careful not to wake Yugi, and tiptoed downstairs towards the couch.

Yami glanced around the dark living room, feeling very floaty and nervous. _What the hell am I doing down here at 5 in the morning?_

He sat down quickly on his side of the couch. The cushions made a loud _pof!,_ giving Yami a fright. He exhaled, frustrated with himself. _I'm so jumpy. I'm just here to investigate. _He leaned towards the cushion beside his, and tentatively sniffed. It smelled like leather. Yami was slightly disappointed. _Wait! _He quickly re-created the scene in his head. Hiro was sitting closer to him than he originally remembered! Yami slid back a couple inches and sniffed again. _Ah! There it was! It's faint, but still there. _Yami took a deeper breath, the smell of leather mixed in with the musk was intoxicating.

Yami rested his head against the cushion, breathing in and out slowly, trying to fill his lungs with the scent as much as possible. He felt himself become aroused. Yami closed his eyes, imagining Hiro's lips, touching his softly.

He lightly pressed his hand against his groin, feeling himself become even harder at the thought. _This is not my hand, this is Hiro's hand_, Yami thought. He reached his hand inside his pants and rested it lightly over his erect member.  
_Hiro's leaning closer, his hair brushing against my forehead,_ Yami took a deeper breath, pressing his face into the leather, desperately seeking more of the scent.

_Hiro is... pressing his lips harder against mine, his tongue slipping erotically in and out of my mouth, Hiro's hands running down my hips, reaching into my pants, grabbing..._

Yami gripped his penis firmly by the shaft and used his thumb to encircle the tip. _Hiro gently rubbed his warm hand against my tip in small, delicate circles..it's driving me crazy. More. ..more..  
_

Hiro's face suddenly shifted into Kaiba's face._ Cold, piercing blue eyes staring right through him, making him shiver..."You want to cum..?" Kaiba said i_n his usual condescending voice. He was _slowly rubbing Yami's shaft slowly...up and down, too slowly... up...and down...  
Yes, Yami whispered, his eyes tearing up slightly from the strain.  
Kaiba snickered, "Ha. Say please.."  
Yami's_ _cock was hard and leaking already, standing up at attention_. _Kaiba wrapped his fingers gently around the base and ran his palm upward until the head disappeared into his hand. Yami shuddered and clenched his teeth with pleasure.  
"Say. Please." Kaiba sneered.  
"Please!" Yami grunted through gritted teeth.  
Kaiba's sneering face shifted back to Hiro's face, smiling gently, "Of course..." His soft spoken voice drifted through Yami's entire being. _Yami stroked himself faster and faster, bringing his palm up to encircle his tip and then back down again. His breathing became erratic, each pump of his cock eliciting full body shudders with every stroke, faster, and faster, until he climaxed into his own palm.

Yami opened his eyes and felt dizzy, his ears ringing. He leaned back into the couch, feeling a warm wave of pleasure course through his body.

Yami slowly lifted his hand out of his pants, trembling from the residual shocks of pleasure.  
He got up and went to wash his hands at the kitchen sink. The warm feeling quickly disappeared along with his semen down the drain.

Yami felt a wave of confusion and guilt settle over him. He dried his hands on a kitchen towel and made his way back upstairs to his bedroom.

Yami peeked inside and saw that Yugi was still sleeping peacefully. He let out a little sigh of relief and got back into his bed.

_Oh god. What did I just do? _Yami inwardly groaned. Yami stared at the sleeping Yugi, hypnotized by the even rise and fall of the covers. Yami turned over in his bed, _D__oes this mean I wish Hiro was Kaiba? Or...rather, wishing that Kaiba had Hiro's personality? _He turned over again and stared at his ceiling, the light shining in was extremely bright now. He checked the time; it was 6 AM exactly. Yami sighed and rolled himself out of bed_. I might as well get dressed and head out_, he resolved. He went over to his closet to grab his clothes.

Suddenly, Yami heard movement in the bed across from him.

"Mmmfg?" Yugi raised his head sleepily.

Yami blinked, "What is it?"

"Mmmmm, did you say somethhin?" Yugi slurred.

Yami frowned, "No, I didn't. I'm heading out to class. Be well, Yugi."

"Mhmokay. I'll see you on campus later." Yugi mumbled and turned back over in his bed. Yami kept his gaze on the sleeping Yugi for a few minutes, then he grabbed his bag and stepped out of the bedroom softly closing the door behind him.

* * *

Kaiba stood in the alleyway behind the bakery feeling extremely apprehensive. The golden plaque on the door read "Employee Entrance Only" in a swirly, dark chocolate font.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered to himself as he raised a fist to knock, but before he could, the door opened suddenly and he was greeted by an energetic blond haired man with a ten-thousand watt smile.

"Hi there! You must be, uh...the new hire! I'm Jason! So nice to meet you! I own this place, c'mon in!" He opened the door widely, allowing Kaiba a wide berth to step inside the kitchen area.

"Treat this place like your new home!" Jason said, looking proudly around at the glistening kitchenware and counter tops that surrounded them.  
"Anything and everything you do in your own kitchen is welcome here in mine!" He glanced at Kaiba and then added, "Well, as long as it's sanitary. You know the rules." he winked and headed towards the front of the store. "I'll grab us some aprons! They arrived in shipment this morning! Boxes are all still piled up by the door, come give me a hand!"

Kaiba stood in stunned silence as he watched Jason disappear though the plastic kitchen flap-doors.

_Oh. My. Fucking. God._ Kaiba ruffled his hair in frustration._ Okay, keep it together, keep it. together_, he chanted to himself. _My name is Hiro, I fucking love to bake, and this is going to be...fun. _Kaiba took a deep breath and composed himself.

"Yo! Heavy shit over here!" Jason yelled from the storefront. Kaiba rushed out of the kitchen, brushing his black hair away from his eyes. "I'm here."

"Awesome. Grab that side, let's move this huge-ass box away from the door, and up against the wall over there." Jason said, straining under the weight. Kaiba firmly gripped his side of the box and lifted upwards in one smooth motion. "Whoa! Holy fff-" Jason huffed, "You lift weights?"

"No. Lift with your back, not your knees." Kaiba replied stiffly, carefully walking backwards, avoiding the other boxes.

"Got it." Jason said, thumping his side down heavily. "One down! A million left to go."

Kaiba set his side of the box down gently and straightened up, getting his first proper look around the bakery for the first time.

Enormous boxes were scattered over every inch of the floor. There was no furniture except for two, long, pearly white, bar-height counters that were built into the walls, or were they shelves? Kaiba couldn't be sure.

The walls were painted a calming, minty green with thick white stripes. The checkout counter was a large L-shaped white marble enclosure. The curved glass displays for pastries were lined with gold chrome. Gigantic screens for displaying the menu hung vertically behind the cash registers. Behind the registers was a long bar of espresso and smoothie machines.

"It's pretty..." Kaiba commented casually.

"I love the pastry displays." Jason replied, "I dig the gold chrome. I thought it would be tacky, but uh...it works!"

Jason started cutting open the box they had carried over.

"Hey, what else are in these boxes?" Kaiba asked, although he already had a feeling he knew.

"Oh! This box," Jason said enthusiastically reaching in, "has our aprons! Check this out! Catch!"

A blur of cloth caught Kaiba full in the face and dropped to the floor. Jason laughed loudly in amusement as a Kaiba slowly bent down to pick up the apron; it was mint green with thin brown stripes. A pocket was sewn into the lower left side. Secretly dying inside, Kaiba tied the apron around his neck and waist, resigning himself to liking the apron.

Jason had already put his apron on and was circling the other packages, a boxer knife in his hand. "Let's open this box! They look like they contain chairs." He got busy cutting open the box and pulled out several long, chrome poles. "Ah they look like bar stools!" Jason exclaimed.

"Nice." Kaiba said simply, helping Jason carefully remove them from the bubble wrap.

Time flew by as the two men got busy building and unpacking all the furniture. They built several more chairs and two large tables. Before long, Kaiba was beginning to feel hungry. He looked at his wrist to check his watch, but then realized he had deliberately left it on his desk. Cursing inwardly to himself, he glanced up to look at the clock, and realized there wasn't one.

"Hey Jason." Kaiba said, trying not to sound irritated. "What time it is?"

Jason pulled his head out from under the plush seating he was assembling, "Oh shit! We totally forgot to take some breaks! Ah let's see..." He glanced at his watch and said, "Well, it's 8:30, which would normally be breakfast time for some people, but for us, I'd say we can take our lunches around 10am."

Kaiba nodded.

"Here, why don't you..." Jason reached into another box and threw a bottled water towards Kaiba. " Take a 20 minute break, and I'll take one when you get back."

Kaiba caught the bottle roughly and said, "Thanks." Wasting no time at all, he tugged off his apron, left it on the counter and hastily walked through the back of the kitchen. _Ugh I'm so tired from opening all those boxes. I need some goddamn fresh air, _Kaiba thought moodily.

He walked out from the bakery's back alleyway and across the street, settling himself into one of the benches on the edge of campus. Kaiba cracked open his bottled water and took a swig. It was a light, sunny spring morning and all the flower trees were in full bloom. A light wind brought their sweet flowery scent drifting past him peacefully.

_I can see why Imposter Yugi likes sitting here,_ Kaiba noted as he shut his eyes and leaned back into the bench, his muscles aching.

He heard footsteps approaching. _Is it Imposter Yugi?_ Kaiba thought excitedly._ Wait, why do I care.  
_He forced himself to calm down._  
_

The footsteps were getting closer, and they were slowing down. The images from the kiss he received from Yami yesterday afternoon flashed unwittingly before his closed lids. Kaiba tensed and willed himself to keep his eyes shut; his heartbeat sped up as the footsteps came to a stop right by the bench.

_If it is Imposter Yugi, embarrass him as much as possible for that kiss, _thought Kaiba, feeling slightly apprehensive, _but...that would be completely out of character, so what the fuck do I even say?! _

Yami stood right by the bench, staring at Hiro, feeling mesmerized. He tried to stamp every detail he saw before him permanently into his mind. Hiro's eyes were closed, his head was leaned back, exposing his pale, slender neck. His sleek black hair glinted with a slight tinge of purple in the bright sunlight. A bottle of water hung precariously from his delicate fingers and his long legs were crossed in front of him casually.

_He's resting, should I bother him? Y_ami thought nervously. But then he noticed how tightly Hiro was gripping his bottle of water.

"Good morning Hiro." Yami said tentatively.

_There it is_, Kaiba thought. _Of course it would be Imposter Yugi. How could it be anyone else._

Kaiba opened his eyes and slowly lifted his head to look directly into Yami's deep violet eyes. "Good morning."

Yami felt himself heat up as their eyes met and instantly averted his gaze. "Yes...do you mind if I join you on this bench?"

_Yes, Yes I do mind! Don't you have class?!_ Kaiba thought fiercely. But he forced a tight lipped smile and what came out of his mouth was, "No not at all. I am in your spot after all."

Yami felt his stomach do a flip-flop and he chuckled nervously. "Ha...What do you mean my spot? This is a public bench!" _This Hiro guy sure is observant, _Yami made a note to himself to be more careful.

Kaiba snorted lightly, "Yeah, no. It's your spot. You're always here, why not just call it your own?" He moved over to make room for Yami on the bench.

"Fair enough." Yami said and he sat down gently.

Yami tensed as he felt Hiro's eyes follow his legs as he crossed them. Kaiba felt his heart rate increase as he watched Yami slide one leg over the other.

Yami smirked and looked over at Hiro, "Like what you see?" he teased.

Kaiba clenched his jaw and gripped his water bottle so hard the plastic crackled.  
Yami saw this and laughed deeply, "I'll take that as a yes."

_Why is he flirting with me?!_ Kaiba screamed internally._ And why am I reacting?!_

_"_So how's your morning going?" Yami asked casually, his eyes lingering on Hiro's face. _  
_

"Good." Kaiba responded gruffly, taking a swig of his water. Anything to avoid a proper conversation.

Yami glanced across the street and tilted his head towards the bakery, "What's going on over there?"

Kaiba sighed, closed his eyes and leaned his head back again, "Hectic. Been up early all morning unpacking. Boxes are everywhere, it's like Christmas except every time you open a box, instead of presents, you get more work."

Yami laughed at that comment and Kaiba felt the familiar chest tightening. _Why is it that every time he laughs, my chest fucking hurts?_ Kaiba thought angrily.

"Lots of heavy lifting, huh." Yami said.

"Yea." Kaiba groaned, rubbing his brow. "And I thought we'd be baking today, but we can't until everything else has been set up. This job is energy consuming."

Yami's eyes flashed mischievously, "You need energy, huh?"

Kaiba missed the visual cue as his eyes were still closed, "Yes. Energy. I should grab some coffee."

"I brought some energy with me." Yami said, smiling to himself at what he was about to do.

Kaiba opened his eyes and sat up. "You have coffee with you?"

"No, I have something better than coffee." Yami said very seriously, trying to keep a straight face.

Kaiba could tell Imposter Yugi was up to something, but he didn't care. _It's probably some Egyptian voodoo-magic-shit they used to keep themselves awake when they built the pyramids_, Kaiba thought viciously.

"What is it you have that's better than coffee?" he demanded.

"Come here, let me show you. It's in my..." Yami trailed his voice off purposely, and reached for his bag which he put on his lap.

Kaiba leaned over Yami's shoulder into his bag. "What is it?"

Yami leaned his back into the bench, pinning Kaiba's arm behind his back. He tilted his head back and looked deeply into Hiro's intense brown eyes, their noses almost touching. Kaiba was taken aback their sudden closeness, his breath hitched in his throat. "Wh-"

Yami closed his eyes lightly with a small smile and he snuggled himself into Hiro's shoulder, enjoying the scent of his cologne.

Kaiba was frozen in place. Yami looked so disarming with his content smirk on his face and leaning into his shoulder like they were close friends.

Kaiba studied Yami's face carefully, his mind scrambling. _He wants me to kiss him?!_ Kaiba thought incredulously. He stared at Yami's beautifully sculpted face, his dark lashes touching his cheeks softly, his eyelids fluttering slightly; waiting. In that instant, Kaiba made his decision. He leaned in and brushed his lips across Yami's cheek ever so softly.

Yami felt Hiro's hot breath on his face and felt the blood rush into his head. He tilted his face towards the warmth of Hiro's breath and their lips met. Kaiba shifted his body closer to Yami's and lifted his hand to caress his cheek.

The kiss deepened and Yami felt Hiro gently sweep his thumb underneath his eyelashes. _His hands feel amazing_, Yami thought to himself in a fit of ecstasy.

Yami didn't care where they were or who saw them. He reached up and grabbed a fistful of Hiro's lustrous black hair and opened his mouth to welcome Hiro's tongue.

Kaiba felt Yami's hand slide into his hair, tugging erotically, and lost all self control. _Oh god what the actual fuck am I doing_, Kaiba thought blurrily,_ this feels so fucking amazing, what is this?_

He pushed his lips so hard against Yami's he felt their teeth bump. He tilted his head and slowly slid his tongue into Yami's hot mouth, exploring boldly. He felt Yami sigh and their knees knocked together forcefully as they tried to pull each other closer.

_More,_ Kaiba thought hungrily, capturing Yami's face in both of his hands. He lightly tugged on Yami's lower lip with his teeth and placed his mouth over Yami's lips, inviting him to stick his tongue in.

Yami cautiously flicked his tongue in and out of Kaiba's mouth, tasting him. Kaiba felt himself give off a small groan. Yami heard this and playfully flicked his tongue in and out of Kaiba's mouth again, this time slower. Kaiba pushed himself harder onto Yami's lips, the force was almost bruising and painful.

_He tastes like...coffee? _Yami thought, frozen with surprise. Yami felt his head spin and he felt a strange floating sensation come over his entire body.

Kaiba felt Yami freeze up.

_What the..._.? Kaiba thought, feeling extremely frustrated and confused.

When he realized Yami wasn't reciprocating anymore, Kaiba slowly disentangled himself and took a good look at Yami's face. Yami's face was flush with color, and he was taking short, gasping breaths, looking at Kaiba with an expression of curiosity. Kaiba was amazed at the expressions Yami was making and he felt his face become instantly hot under Yami's gaze.

Turning his head to the side, Kaiba desperately tried to get back into character, "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I don't usually...with strangers..."

Yami snapped out of his stupor and smiled blissfully over at Kaiba, "Hiro. You're not...you taste..." his voice trailed off as he was lost in thought._ I think you taste like Seto Kaiba_, Yami thought secretly._ But I can't say that. I haven't kissed Kaiba, so how would I even know? I'm just assuming Kaiba tastes like coffee._

Kaiba felt himself sweat, "I'm not...what? What do I taste like?!" he asked frantically.

Yami laughed gently, "I was going to say you don't feel like stranger to me."

"Ah." Kaiba frowned, unsure if it was good or bad.

"And that you taste pretty good. I'm at a loss of words." Yami added, smiling gently.

"I thought you were going to say I needed a breath mint." Kaiba replied, feeling apprehensive, knowing that he probably tasted like the 3 cups of coffee he drank on his way to work. _Work! Shit!, _Kaiba jumped to his feet and checked his watch, cursing again, when he realized he didn't have it on.

Yami was startled by the sudden movement, "You okay? It wasn't that bad, was it?"

_That's the first time I've ever kissed anyone like that..so...I hope I wasn't terrible, _Yami thought anxiously.

"No, I have to get back to work!" Kaiba exclaimed.

"Oh..!" Yami realized, he had completely forgot. "I'm sorry Hiro! I should've said something..."

Kaiba shook his head quickly, knowing full well that he was the one that got carried away, "No it's not your fault. I'll see you around?"

"Yes!" Yami exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically.

Kaiba smirked slightly and hurried across the street. As he headed down the alleyway towards the back entrance of the bakery, he saw Yami still standing there in a daze. He waved, not expecting Yami to see him. Yami raised his hand slightly and waved back.

Kaiba felt his chest swell up with a warm feeling and he smiled back unexpectedly. He nodded towards the spiky haired figure and ducked into the kitchen, closing the door softly behind him.

Yami stood there, stunned. _Did he just smile at me?_ Yami thought happily. _I wish I was close enough to see it clearly. _

He turned around and picked his bag up from the bench._ I guess I'll be coming here again after class! I hope he'll be here when I'm done with class,_ Yami thought, hurrying towards campus._ I definitely need his phone number._

* * *

**Uglifish's Note**

Hey peoples! Apologies for the wait on this chapter! Review and kindly lmk if there are any spelling errors or verb tense disagreements LOL

xoxo

UF


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

Kaiba quickly ducked back into the bakery and hastily donned his apron.

"Yo!" Jason called, "You're back way too late! I'm going to have to dock your pay."

Kaiba whirled around and faced him with a look of disbelief, "What?!"

Jason shrugged. "While you were out there making kissy-faces with your boyfriend, I unpacked everything myself!" he huffed, "And to think you have the nerve to do that on your first day here, and in front of me, of all people."

Kaiba felt his face flush with a mixture of embarrassment and fury, "Apologies, it won't happen again.." he muttered.

"It better not." Jason said, uncharacteristically stern. "Start unpacking. I'll take my break now." He untied his apron and left it on the back counter. "I want all these blenders and glasses in the cabinets by the time I get back!" Jason yelled on his way out.

Kaiba nodded sullenly and picked up a box full of glassware. _Was that worth it?_ he asked himself fiercely, setting the box down on the counter. _And what's more, he fucking saw us!_

Kaiba jerked his head up and looked out of the tall paned windows of the bakery. He had a clear line of sight to the bench he and Yami were sitting on.

_Wellllll...shit_, Kaiba cursed inwardly. _He could see us the whole time. We practically gave him a show._

Kaiba continued to privately fume. The glassware clinked together pleasantly as he placed them into the shelf carefully, lost in his own thoughts. Time flew by and before he knew it, Jason was back from his break.

"Nice!" Jason beamed, looking at all the inset cabinets filled with sparkling glasses and plates. "Well, you're all done for today, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Kaiba nodded stiffly and felt his fists curl up into the palms of his hands, "Yes, tomorrow."

"Yes!" Jason clapped Kaiba on the back vigorously, forcing Kaiba to clench his fists even further, "It's been great working with you today, Hiro. Don't worry, I'm hiring more help, so we'll get this place up and running by the end of the week."

"Right." Kaiba replied, as he untied his apron and made a beeline for the kitchen exit.

He ducked into the alley, leaned his back against the cool brick wall, and inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh night air.

_No time to waste, I've got to get home._ Kaiba thought to himself, quickly pulling his phone out of his pocket to call for his driver.

He walked several blocks from the university and stood by a street corner, lit by a lone streetlamp, on high alert, waiting for his driver.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

In the distance, he could hear a group of rowdy students around the block, heading down the street towards him. Kaiba backed away from the light of the streetlamp and against the wall, towards the shadow of the building, hoping to stay out of sight.

His phone buzzed again; he was getting a call. Kaiba pulled his phone out, realized it was Mokuba, "Hey kiddo." Kaiba said quickly, hoping his voice sounded normal.

"Hey big brother!" Mokuba chirped. "Um, I don't know if you remember, but tonight is movie night at school! Please can I go? You said I could, remember? You even signed the form! The whole 6th grade will be there! Please please please...!"

Kaiba frowned, "I don't remember signing anything."

"You DID!" Mokuba insisted. "I told you a week ago!"

The chattering group of students had turned the corner was heading down the street directly towards him.

"And I said you couldn't attend." Kaiba said, feeling a small bubble of guilt.

"RRgggh!" Mokuba groaned. "I knew you'd forget Seto! Please can I go?!"

"I'll be home soon Mokuba. Let's go out for some pizza okay?" Kaiba said gently, hoping to appease him.

Suddenly, an all-too-familiar voice in an annoying accent shouted, "Ayyyyy! Look it's Hiro!"

_Fuuuuckk_! Kaiba felt the blood rush to his head.

PLLEEEEEEEESE!" Mokuba shouted in his ear. "I'll be back by 9:30! That's 30 minutes before bedtime PLEASE SETO!"

"It's HIROoOO! Mr. Bakery Man!" Tristan yelled, and his voice echoed up and down the empty street, causing Kaiba to cringe violently.

"Who is that?" Mokuba asked suspiciously.

"No one." Kaiba snarled into the phone. "You may go to your movie night. Be back by 9:45. Call the driver back to the residence and have him wait for you in the school parking lot."

"YAAY! Seto you're the be-," Mokuba was cut off as Kaiba hastily hit the end button. Just as he did so, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

Kaiba whirled around in a contained fury. "Don't touch me," he spat.

"Whoa bro, just sayin' hi to a friend." Joey said, squinting at Kaiba through the darkness.

Kaiba cursed to himself. _Fucking great! The friendship squad._

"Everything okay?" Another familiar voice asked. A few more faces appeared before him out of the darkness; Tristan, Anzu, Yugi, and...Yami.

Kaiba took a deep breath, _Focus. Stay in character._

"S-sorry," Kaiba stammered lamely, "I thought you guys were going to jump me ..or something. I was on the phone..unaware..." He forced himself to trail his voice off incoherently.

Joey held up both his hands defensively, "Yea we all saw you were on the phone. Sorry man, won't do it again."

_You better fucking not,_ Kaiba fumed privately.

"Hungry?" Yami asked tentatively, stepping up towards him. "Come with us. We're heading towards a popular pizza restaurant."

Kaiba felt his throat close up involuntarily, "Of course.."  
_Mokuba is at his at movie night, and I was going to have to call for a cab anyway,_ he thought, trying to reassure himself.

"Great! The more the merrier!" Anzu said happily, "Let's go!".

Kaiba swallowed dryly, at a loss for words. The rest of the group casually brushed past him, continuing up the street, laughing and talking. Kaiba stood there, rooted in place, unable to move. Yami tilted his head at him curiously, watching his reaction carefully, "You don't have to join us if you're tired. I understand you've probably had a long day at the bakery."

Kaiba mustered the warmest smile he could and looked directly into Yami's dark eyes, "I'll be fine. Thank you."

Yami felt his arms heat up and his legs go numb._ Such a charming smile_, he thought. "Let's hurry," Yami said and hurried up the dark street, leaving Kaiba standing in the dark, confused at the exchange.

Kaiba caught up with the group and fell into step behind Yugi. He could feel Yami's eyes on him as they walked together in silence, listening to the group chatter away.  
Kaiba was starting to feel uncomfortable in his own skin. They turned a corner and a large glowing sign that read "Santo's Stone Oven Pizza" hovered into view.

"Finally! FOOD!" Joey and Tristan screamed as they rushed through the double doors of the pizzeria. Yugi and Anzu rolled their eyes and followed them through, leaving Yami and Kaiba standing outside, alone.

Yami snuck a glance over at Hiro, secretly enjoying the hue of neon reflecting off of his dark colored hair. Kaiba was fully aware of Yami's eyes on him and he felt himself tense up.

"Well," he said, looking at Yami with a half-smile, "I'm starving. After you." And he gestured for Yami to enter first.

Yami smiled back playfully and said, "Let's discuss what happened on that bench today, shall we?"

_No, no not now please,_ Kaiba thought, feeling desperate.

"It was..nice." Kaiba said quietly. "Let's continue this some other time, please." he urged.

Yami agreed, now was not the time nor place to discuss such private matters.

The group had seated themselves in a curved, spacious booth and were quietly studying their menus. Yami slid into the booth next to Yugi and patted the empty spot next to him with mischievous smile. "Sit, Hiro."

Kaiba nodded stiffly and slid down into the space carefully avoiding all bodily contact with Yami.

"Let's all share pizzas," Anzu declared, "That way, we can taste everything and enjoy the whole menu together!"

Yami nodded; Joey and Tristan grumbled moodily, and Yugi just smiled. Kaiba felt himself break out in a hot, nervous sweat.

"Fine." Tristan said, "But if we share, everything gets super-sized. Also Joey and I get to pick the majority the toppings. It's only fair."

"Ugh." said Anzu. "Whatever. Let's just eat. I'm so hungry."

They flagged the waiter down and ordered quickly. As they waited for the food to arrive, conversation at the table jumped from topic to topic. "Did you see that One Punch Man episode last night?" Joey asked, loudly crushing ice between his teeth.

"Yes, but there's a movie I'd like to go see." Yugi said, "I forgot what it's called..."

"Forget the movies, the arcade is bomb. Let's go there instead. Plus there's a cute girl at the arcade counter." Tristan said, furiously tapping away at his phone.

"What game are you playing?" Kaiba asked, unable to stop himself.

"Wha? Oh this?" Tristan was very distracted. "It's called Patapoko. Seriously dude, this game is fucking hard. It's like bejeweled but with power-ups, forest animals, and monsters."

Interested, Kaiba leaned across Yami to get a closer look. "Right. Let me give it a try." he said, reaching his hand out towards Tristan. Yami felt his breath catch in his throat as a Hiro's hair passed gently across his face, filling his nose with the light scent of his cologne.

"Sure thing dude." Tristan said, handing over his phone. Yami eyed the phone as it passed across his face. _What is the matter with me,_ Yami thought. _I feel so ..stimulated._

Kaiba placed the phone deftly in front of him and started to play the level.

_This is easy_, Kaiba smirked to himself, _This game just connecting colored blocks. A preschooler could play this game._

The group "ooh-ed" and "aah-ed" as Kaiba set a new high score with ease.

"Whaaat!" Tristan yelled, grabbing his hair in disbelief.

Kaiba smiled thinly and handed the phone back across the table. He could feel all eyes on him as he leaned back into his seat. Suddenly, he felt a lot less satisfied and a lot more self conscious. Thankfully, the pizza arrived just in time to avoid awkward questioning.

The two, large, steaming slabs of pizza sat glistening before them. Joey and Tristan didn't say a word and began devouring their slices like mad dogs. Kaiba waited until everyone at the table had taken a slice, and then carefully lifted his slice out from the remaining pieces of pizza.

"Ummfg, thish ish so gud." Trisan said with his mouth full. No one responded as they were all too busy enjoying their own slices.

Kaiba looked around the table, feeling quite strange. He felt as though he were in a movie and he was watching himself perform. His roaming eyes fell on Yami, who was delicately eating his slice with a fork and knife.

Kaiba stared down at his own slice with disdain, but then suddenly realized how hungry he was. He picked it up and began to eat, feeling extremely self aware. As he finished his slice of pizza, Kaiba felt his phone is his back pocket vibrate. The group looked up around the table.

"Whose phone was that?" Anzu asked curiously. Kaiba froze in his seat, frantically thinking of a good lie.

"It's mine, sorry!" Joey choked as he struggled to speak and eat at the same time. He shifted his back towards Tristan. "Hey, Tristan, be a bro, get my phone. It's probably Serenity."

"I'm not touching your butt, bro, wipe your hands and do it yourself! " Tristan yelled, inching away from Joey.

Joey grumbled, shoved his hands towards a napkin, then swiftly picked up his phone. "Hey sis, what's up."

The group chatted happily as Joey continued to speak on the phone. Kaiba felt himself relax but his anxiety peaked when Joey hung up and said, "So guys, Serenity hasn't eaten yet, she's on her way here. Make room. More pizza!"

The group cheered and Kaiba felt as though he was living in an inescapable nightmare._  
I might as well check my phone for messages,_ Kaiba thought wearily. He stood up slowly, trying not to draw attention to himself.

"Hiro, where you headed?" Yami asked casually, reaching for the another slice of pizza.

Kaiba stiffened. "Bathroom." he said, quickly slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Bathroom is in the back, by the bar, just letting you know!" Tristan said with a helpful smile.

Kaiba nodded brusquely and he quickly made his way to the back of the restaurant. He stood outside the door of the bathroom as he shuffled around in his bag for his phone.

He had text 3 messages that read "Call me" all from his secretary. Kaiba took a look around, and realized he was inches away from a glowing sign that read "Employee Exit".

He was tempted to go through it but then he noticed the bartender giving him a weird look. Kaiba made eye contact with the bartender and approached the bar with quick strides.

"I ain't servin' drinks to no underage kids today." the bartender said to Kaiba with a hard look in his eye.

Kaiba leaned over the bar, keeping his voice low, "I don't need a drink; I need to use your employee exit."

The bartender snorted, "Yea? What's it worth to you pal?"

Kaiba blinked slowly and forced himself to keep his rage contained. He reached for his wallet and with practiced hands, slipped out a crisp 100 dollar bill. "Here." He said, through gritted teeth, slapping the bill onto the counter.

The bartender eyed the bill suspiciously and gave Kaiba a long look. "That bad, huh?"

Kaiba clenched his fist and nodded.

"You keep your money junior, I was just pullin' your leg." The bartender said moodily, stepping out from around the bar. "I'll let you out through the back, son, but you gonna hafta come back in through the front door, ya hear?"

Kaiba nodded anxiously and looked over his shoulder back over at the booth where the Yugi-gang was still laughing merrily. He quickly followed the bartender towards the back exit and watched as the bartender kicked the door open. A gust of cool night air rushed in and washed over Kaiba like a breath of fresh air.

"Thanks." Kaiba grunted and ducked outside. He waited until the bartender went back inside and he quickly hit re-dial on his phone and waited for an answer.

"Mr. Kaiba!" his secretary's voice sounded slightly out of breath. "Mr. Kaiba, I've found a fully furnished apartment near the university as per your request!"

"That's great." Kaiba said, feeling conflicted.

"A student needed to move quickly; we made them an offer he couldn't resist! We left a spare key under the door mat so please drop by to pick it up tonight! I'll text you the address," his secretary continued, "Apologies for the late notification."

"That is fine, good work." Kaiba said quickly, and hung up. He looked up towards the night sky and inhaled deeply. _This is actually happening_, Kaiba thought to himself. _This is crazy_. _I'm going to live near a university campus and work part time at a bakery. What the hell am I doing? _

He hurried away from the exit, making his way back towards the main entrance. As Kaiba stepped back into the restaurant, he realized his seat had been taken by a slender brunette female.

"He returnnnss!" Tristan crowed.

"Hiro! This is Serenity, Joey's little sister!" Anzu smiled up at Kaiba as he stood awkwardly at the edge of the table.

Kaiba pulled the corners of his mouth upwards into what he hoped was a smile and braced himself for questions about why he had come back through the main entrance, but no one seemed to notice.

"Oh I'm so sorry, this was where you were sitting!" Serenity cried and she made a motion to get out of her seat, quickly wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"No, please." Kaiba said, "I was just leaving."

A chorus of "whaaat"s echoed around the table. Yami furrowed his brow suspiciously and Kaiba could feel Yami's gaze piercing through him.

"Where are you going?" Yami asked innocently.

"Home." Kaiba responded quickly. "I've got an early day tomorrow. I work at a bakery, remember?"

Serenity gasped, "Oh I love baked sweets!"

"We have yet to try some of your baked desserts, Hiro." Yami said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Yea Seto Kaiba's baked desserts could probably give you a run for your money." Joey snickered.

Kaiba forced a laugh. Yami was still staring daggers into him, and Kaiba was beginning to feel increasingly more uncomfortable the longer he stood by the table.

"Goodnight." Kaiba said, trying desperately not to make eye contact with anyone at the table. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Bye!" The group chorused. Kaiba turned his heel and walked quickly out the door.

Yami turned towards Yugi and said hastily, "I forgot to ask him for his contact information, I'll be right back."

Yugi shrugged nonchalantly, and Yami quickly exited the booth to hurry towards Hiro.

Kaiba quickly checked the location of his new apartment, relieved to find out it was within walking distance, made a mental note, and slid his phone back into his pocket. Just as he did so, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching from behind.

"Hiro!" Yami called, waving in the darkness towards the tall figure.

Kaiba reluctantly paused in his step and allowed Yami to catch up with him.

"I realized I don't have any of your contact information," Yami panted, slightly out of breath.

Kaiba felt a bubble of dread creep up from his chest, constricting in his throat, "Contact information. " he repeated stupidly.

"Yes." Yami said firmly, pulling out his phone, which Kaiba noticed, was a visibly older model.

"I...don't have a phone." Kaiba said, lying through his teeth.

Yami raised his eyebrows incredulously, "Really...?"

"Well, no, it's a long story." Kaiba stammered, grasping at strings of thought, "You caught me on a bad day. I'll be receiving a new phone tomorrow."

_I fucking better see those disposable phones on my desk when I get back_, Kaiba fumed privately.

Yami blinked, and nodded, visibly disappointed.

Kaiba tightened his face into a smile, "See you." And he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Yami cried.

Kaiba felt a small headache coming on, "Yes?"

"I'll walk you home." Yami said quickly. "It's dark, and you seem to be tired."

"No, that's really fine, you don't have to." Kaiba responded, feeling panic swell up in his chest_._

_I haven't even been in my own "home" yet! _Kaiba thought desperately, _ I can't have visitors over, even if the apartment is fully furnished!_

"No?" Yami repeated. "Well if that's -" He was interrupted by the Yugi-gang exiting the restaurant nosily.

"Yami!" Yugi exclaimed, rushing to his side. "We're heading home, it's late! Let's go!"

Yami turned towards Yugi with a sly smile, "Hiro and I were just discussing how he was going to get home."

_No. No NO fucking NO!_ Kaiba screamed in his head, and forced himself to remain emotionless.  
"No we weren't discussing that at all. I'm walking home, thank you very much." he said curtly.

"C'mon." Yugi said, tugging on Yami's arm.

Yami nodded reluctantly and followed, waving back at the tall dark figure standing motionless in the parking lot.

Kaiba breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the twins receded from his view, and made sure he heard the sound of a car engine turn over before heading towards the direction of the apartment.

* * *

Yami looked out the window moodily, watching the buildings zip by as the gang chatted happily in the car. Yugi looked over at his twin and nudged him slightly, "What's wrong Yami?"

Yami leaned back into his seat and re-adjusted his seat belt. "Nothing. Thinking about how Hiro said he didn't own a cell phone to avoid exchanging contact information."

"What?!" Tristan yelled from the driver's seat. "That was his excuse? Lame."

Anzu turned around in the passenger seat to face the spiky-haired twins in the back, "Well it could be true. Not everyone has to own a phone these days. Maybe he really doesn't have a phone."

Yami nodded sullenly and turned his gaze outwards again. Yugi folded his arms behind his head in a carefree gesture. "Don't worry about it Yami. Some people are slow to open up. Ask him again later, I'm sure you'd be able to tell if he was lying."

Yami nodded again and stayed silent for the rest of the ride.

* * *

Kaiba stood in front of a tall, brightly lit building, staring at the open windows with their curtains fluttering slowly in and out on every floor. He could hear light, pleasant chattering and music drifting out from the rooms. Kaiba walked resolutely through the entrance of the building and pulled out his phone, checking his apartment number.

_108, I'm on the first floor, how convenient. _Kaiba thought, feeling relieved. He arrived at the door and haphazardly kicked the door mat aside for the key underneath it. Hastily picking it up and jamming it violently into the lock, the key stuck and Kaiba grunted in frustration as he tried make the lock give by jiggling the door handle.

Finally after a few slight twists, Kaiba managed to open the door and he stepped inside a completely dark room. The sliver of light from the hallway disappeared slowly as he closed the door behind him, standing in a pitch black room. He felt up the wall and flipped a switch.

Two lamps flickered on and Kaiba was mildly surprised at what he saw. The room was very spacious. A long, sleek desk hugged the wall near a large window that stretched from one end of the room to the other. A large, empty bed frame sat awkwardly in the middle of the room. It was as if the previous owner had moved all the furniture and left in a hurry.

A wide screen television sat on the wall across from the window, and a pull-out couch served as the divider between the desk and the TV.

Kaiba heard his shoes click loudly against the hardwood floor as he walked across the room to inspect the kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen was sparsely furnished, with the standard single-person stove, refrigerator, and lone counter top for appliances. A lonely bar stool was leaning against the opposite wall. Kaiba made a mental note to bring in more chairs.

He walked towards the bathroom, and noticed there was an adjourning walk-in closet. Feeling quite thankful that everything was much more spacious and accessible than he had originally thought, he pulled out his phone to call his driver and sent a congratulatory text to his assistant.

* * *

Yami laid wide awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, images of a certain dark haired individual running through his mind. He watched the wind rhythmically push the curtains back and forth against the sill, letting in a bit of light from the streetlamps outside. He sat up and decided that he wasn't going to sleep tonight. He looked at the clock; it read 3:10 AM. He sighed and pushed the sheets off his legs, being careful not to wake Yugi. He dressed himself quickly, grabbed his bag, and left the house quietly.

Yami stepped into the quiet street, feeling strangely detached from reality.

_Who is awake at this hour?_ Yami thought to himself, shuffling his bag from one shoulder to the other. He continued to walk down the road, with no direction in mind. Suddenly, a thought struck him.

_Perhaps Kaiba would be awake? He's always working on something at ungodly hours_, Yami nodded to himself reassuringly and continued on his way.

After some time, Yami found himself standing before Kaiba Corporation's head offices, an altitude-reaching building, complete with an enormous KC logo decorating the front doors.

He reached his hand out to touch the doors, but to his surprise, they opened for him immediately as he got close. Feeling slightly satisfied, he walked confidently through the doors and into the dark building.

Yami spotted a light in Kaiba's office a few stories above and he hurried towards it, the heels of his shoes echoing loudly against the stone floors.

Meanwhile, Kaiba was just about to leave when he heard the electronic beep of the front doors opening. He froze, shocked.

_Who the fuck is coming in at this hour?! _Kaiba thought to himself angrily.

He quickly flipped open his laptop to access the security feed. Kaiba saw a spiky haired silhouette coming slowly up the stairs, footsteps getting louder as the figure got closer.

Panicking, Kaiba pulled the laptop towards him and crossed his legs tightly, desperately trying to find a natural sitting position.

_I'm being ridiculous,_ Kaiba snorted to himself. _Why the fuck am I so worked up.  
_He heard a soft knock at the door.

"Come in." Kaiba said, trying to sound weary. The door quietly panned open and there stood..Yami.

_This is Yami. I_ _am certain this is not Yugi_, Kaiba thought excitedly_._

"May I come in.." Yami asked tentatively, looking around the spacious office, noticing a large bed tucked away in a dark corner of the office.

"You're already in." Kaiba said flatly." Close the door behind you, it's drafty."

Yami obliged and slowly approached Kaiba's desk. He peered over the edge, trying to get a glimpse of what was on the screen.

"So what's new?" Yami asked casually, trying not to feel unwelcome.

Kaiba clasped his hands together and stared icily at the other Yugi over the tips of his long fingers."What are you doing here at 4 in the morning Yugi." Kaiba asked coldly.

Yami felt a pang of anger and annoyance shoot through his chest.  
"I am not Yugi." He said indignantly, regretting the visit more and more as the seconds ticked by.

"Whatever." Kaiba smirked, seeing the flicker of annoyance pass across the Yami's face.

"I'm clearly bothering you. I'll be leaving." Yami said stiffly, turning towards the door.

Kaiba tilted his head, amused. "Well before you go,_ Yugi_, help me out with something."

Yami tensed, feeling slightly shocked. _Seto Kaiba asking for his help?_  
Instantly suspicious, Yami was on guard. He clenched his fists slightly and said, "I'll help you, Kaiba, but call me Yugi one more time..." Yami left his threat unfinished as he stood and glared at Kaiba in the darkness. He willed himself to stay silent, allowing the silence to ripen, and kept his focus on the soft blue light, shining in from the windows reflecting off of Kaiba's light brown hair.

Kaiba blinked a few times and said simply, "Sure." He then leaned back and reached into one of his desk drawers, pulling out a small box containing the newest mobile technology his company was currently producing.

He placed it purposefully on the before him and slowly slid the box open, revealing a sleek phone with a slender mirrored screen and a tasteful carbon fiber rim.

Yami stared at the device, stunned. "W-what is this for..?!" he asked, trying to hide his surprise and confusion.

"Well.." Kaiba said carefully thinking of the right lie, "This tech is so new, so it hasn't been tested yet. Why don't you use it for a while and tell me what you think."

Yami felt his chest constrict with anxiety, "Don't you have ...people.. who do that for you?"

"Tsk", Kaiba clicked his tongue in annoyance. _Trying to give a gift, why is he making this so difficult._ "Just. Take the phone." He said through gritted teeth.

Yami stood there motionless, not quite believing what he was seeing or hearing. The heat from Kaiba's blue eyes shot threads of electricity through him like fire.

Yami reached out and lifted the box slowly off the desk without breaking eye contact. Kaiba felt himself shake slightly, trying to contain the strange feeling rising up from his throat.

"Thank you." Yami said quietly, holding the box awkwardly in front of him with both hands, wondering if he should've been more polite.

Kaiba forced himself to look away. "Report to me if any issues arise," he said quickly, feeling his face heat up.

"I..actually might need some help with it now." Yami said nervously, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Kaiba blinked, "What."

"I'll ask Yugi." Yami said hurriedly, blood rushing to his face.

"I have time now." Kaiba said devilishly, sensing Yami's embarrassment. "Have a seat." He gestured towards the large bed in the corner of the room.

Yami eyed Kaiba suspiciously. "Why don't you have any chairs in this room?"

Kaiba's heart skipped a beat._ Fucckkk!_ he screamed at himself, _I brought them all over to the goddamn apartment, that's fucking why!_

"I'm redecorating." Kaiba lied, his knuckles turning white has he gripped the armrest of his office chair, "And I don't entertain guests in my office, so, no need for chairs."

"So, no chairs, but, a bed? For entertainment?" Yami asked, his curiosity mounting.

"I don't enjoy falling asleep at my desk." Kaiba fumed, as this was becoming too troublesome. "Fine, let's _not_ sit. We'll stand. Take out the damn phone so I can show you how to set it up. Whichever makes you leave faster."

Yami felt Kaiba's words cut through him like a hot knife. _He wants me to leave.. faster_, Yami thought to himself darkly.

"I'll sit" Yami complied, walking over towards the bed, feeling offended.

"Good." Kaiba responded stiffly. _The lies are never ending, I want him to stay,_ Kaiba thought to himself desperately.

Yami gracefully sat himself on the end of the large bed and he pulled his legs up, getting comfortable. He placed the box onto the bed next to him and looked up at Kaiba expectantly, "Now I will turn it on... I suppose", Yami said slowly, turning the phone over in his slender hands.

Kaiba felt nervous as he watched Yami's hands caress the phone. He sat down cautiously beside Yami, feeling his weight sink into the cushion. He suddenly had a wild thought, replaying the passionate kiss they shared on the bench in front of the bakery. Kaiba slapped himself mentally.

"Ah this is cool!" Yami exclaimed excitedly as the phone screen lit up before him, highlighting his slender nose and delicate cheekbones in the dark.

Kaiba blinked and nodded silently, crossing his long legs awkwardly as he felt his pants grow uncomfortably tight.

Yami tapped around the screen enthusiastically, feeling elated, surprised at how user-friendly the interface was.

_I guess I don't really need any help setting this up._ _Do I dare feel happy?_ Yami thought secretly, _can this be considered a gift? But its more like I'm doing him favor, isn't it?  
_  
Kaiba stared intently at Yami's face, drinking in every detail, watching him blink in delight, his dark eyelashes touching his cheeks as he did so. The tips of Yami's lips looked really soft as they were illuminated by the glow of the phone screen. Kaiba felt angry with himself just as that thought crossed his mind.

Yami felt Kaiba's eyes on him and stopped playing with the phone. He glanced swiftly over at Kaiba, who was sitting extremely still beside him in the dark.

"Hey, Kaiba." Yami said quietly, "Thank you. I'm excited to use this phone as a replacement for this..." He shifted around and fished out Yugi's old phone from his pocket.

Kaiba nodded again, feeling uncomfortably aroused, unable to speak, afraid that if he did, he would say something he would regret.

Yami was unnerved. Kaiba was being extremely quiet, and it was difficult to read his expressions in the dark.

"Kaiba..?" Yami leaned closer towards him, struggling to see his face. Yami trailed his eyes down Kaiba's figure and noticed a particularly large and uncomfortable looking bulge, outlined against the fabric between Kaiba's thighs.

Yami averted his gaze aside quickly as blood rushed to his head, making him feel dizzy and aroused at the sight.

Kaiba noticed the sudden movement, and felt himself panic slightly. He clenched his fists and stood up swiftly, "It seems like you don't need any help."

Startled at the sudden shift in weight on the mattress, Yami struggled to compose himself. " You seem ...tense." Yami eyed Kaiba's obvious boner, blatantly displayed before him at nose-height.

Kaiba noticed this and forced himself not to react. "Go home."

Yami lowered his head and eyed Kaiba lustfully through his spiky blonde bangs, "Would you like-"

"GO. HOME." Kaiba growled vehemently, every cell in his body was fighting the urge to push Yami down onto the bed and ravage him.

Yami furrowed his brow in frustration. He quietly gathered his things, threw his bag over his shoulder and headed towards the door.

Kaiba stood resolutely facing away from Yami, waiting for him to leave.

Yami turned to look at Kaiba's tall figure one last time before carefully pulling the door behind him, not fully closing it, purposefully leaving a small gap.

Kaiba waited until he heard Yami's footsteps recede in the distance and he let out a sigh of frustration. He sat down on the edge of the bed shakily, taking slow ragged breaths, feeling his body heat up.

_What the actual fuck is wrong with me?!_ Kaiba thought resentfully. He kicked his shoes off in an effort to make himself comfortable and glared at his boner, feeling outraged.

_My body betrays me_, Kaiba thought to himself hatefully. He shut his eyes and leaned his head back, willing it to go away. After few moments, he opened his eyes, feeling defeated as his boner throbbed painfully. Kaiba tentatively loosened his belt and unbuttoned his pants. He looked down at his open fly, the outline of his penis bulging out from over the zipper. Kaiba slid a shaking hand downwards and closed his eyes reluctantly, willing himself to give in to the pleasure of his own hand.

Meanwhile, Yami had paused in the middle of the stairs, waiting to hear movement from Kaiba's office. _I'll catch him when he leaves in a few minutes_, Yami thought to himself, _he did say he was just about to head home, so just maybe..._

Yami contemplated an excuse as he surveyed the dark offices beneath him, and made a decision to head back up. It seemed like the light from the office was inviting as he began climbing upwards; it was shining warmly from the crack in the doorway.

Quietly, Yami approached the door cautiously, peering through the gap, and what he saw shocked him to the core. Kaiba was shamelessly masturbating, one hand tightly gripping his shaft and the other resting gently on his balls. Yami felt his breath hitch in his throat as waves of shock coursed through his body, nailing his feet to the floor. He pressed his cheek against the cold door frame, trying to get a closer look but also to steady himself.

Kaiba took shallow breaths as he tried to keep his mind blank, but the image of Yami's lips kept bubbling up to the surface of his consciousness. He slowly encircled the tip of his penis with the pad of this thumb, imagining Yami slowly taking him into his mouth. Deep waves of pleasure alternated up from his hands and to his chest, traveling up and down his body swiftly. He spread his legs wider as he felt himself reach the peak of his arousal, and imagined Yami moving his tongue over one of his testicles. Kaiba suppressed a soft groan as he caressed himself, moving his hand up and down his penis, faster and faster.

Yami felt the blood rushing loudly in his ears as he felt himself become extremely aroused. He blinked and swallowed as he forced himself to step away from the crack in the doorway. His breath had left a slight oval of condensation on the metal door frame.

_Time to leave before he realizes I'm still here_, Yami thought to himself frantically and he turned to hurry back down the stairs towards the main entrance. Tiny waves of pleasure jolted through him with every step he took.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Kaiba climaxed violently into his own hand and he felt his warm semen spill out from around his clenched fist. He opened his eyes and looked down at his hand, slowly uncurling his slender fingers dripping with semen, surveying the mess he'd created.

Irritated, Kaiba clumsily stripped himself out of his pants and made his way to the office bathroom to clean up.

* * *

**Uglifish's Note**

Shoot me I have so many chapter ideas but not enough time to write them! Thank you for your support and reviews as always! Next chapter coming soon!

#deadaf  
UF


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

Yami stepped into the game shop and to his surprise, he saw a light in the doorway leading into the kitchen. He quickly glanced at the store clock and realized it was 6:30 AM.

_I have to go to class in a few hours!_ Yami realized. He hurried into the house and saw Yugi eating breakfast sleepily at the kitchen counter.

"Aibou," Yami said hesitantly. "You're up early, good morning."

Yugi yawned widely, "'Morning! I have a project meet-up, so we can head out together today!"

Yami nodded and sat himself down next to Yugi along the kitchen counter.

"What were you doing out there?" Yugi asked blearily.

"Oh I..." Yami stopped for a moment, debating if he should tell Yugi about what he had just witnessed. Then he remembered, the phone!

"Kaiba gave me a phone..." Yami said slowly, trying not to sound excited.

Yugi was now wide-awake. "He..WHAT?! Let me see?!"

Yami reached into his pocket and and placed his shiny new device onto the marble counter.

"Woooww!" Yugi exclaimed, picking it up excitedly and examining it carefully. "Is this carbon fiber?!"

Yami tried to suppress a look of pride. "Yes, it's quite nice, although, I'm not quite sure what he's thinking."

Yugi nodded in agreement, "Did he say why he was giving this to you? Maybe he wants something in return?"

Yami furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling very tired from the lack of sleep, "He said to report any issues the phone may have, while in use."

"That's it?" Yugi asked incredulously.

Yami nodded, feeling anxious, "Should I give it back?"

"Nah," Yugi grinned, "Kaiba's fucking loaded. He's got a million of these. Don't take it too personally that he gave you one."

Yami felt a lump swell up in this throat, making it painful to swallow, "Right."

"So, how will you report the issues?" Yugi asked curiously. "Can you just text him, or do you have to make a trip over to see Kaiba in-person?"

Yami paused, feeling a wave of confusion wash over him, "I don't know!"

Yugi laughed and reached out to squeeze Yami's hand reassuringly, "Well I have Mokuba's number, don't worry." Yami tensed at the warmth of Yugi's hand on his. Yugi noticed this and appeared concerned.

Yami looked down at the counter, avoiding eye contact, "There was also..something else that happened."

"I'm listening." Yugi said gently.

Yami felt himself sweat, "I saw...I saw Kaiba..touching himself."

Yugi blinked and leaned forward, refusing to believe what he was hearing, "You saw what?!"

"I saw him touching himself." Yami repeated robotically. "As I was leaving, he was-"

"Oh my god!" Yugi exclaimed aghast, and turning pale. "In front of you?! Why?! And how does that even happen?!"

"He didn't know I was there," Yami said hastily, "I was leaving, and wanted to thank him again, so I headed back up and accidentally caught a glimpse of him in a private moment. Nothing to it, Yugi, please don't worry."

Yugi was opening and closing his mouth like a gulping goldfish gasping for air, "A-And he didn't ..SEE you, right?!" he croaked.

"He did not." Yami said calmly. Yugi bent over his breakfast, feeling stressed.

"Aibou, please, it's really fine..." Yami said desperately, not expecting Yugi to take the news this badly.

"Am I okay, are YOU okay?!" Yugi interjected. "Just don't mention anything to him about this, and we won't be murdered by his security detail."

Yami swallowed nervously and nodded, "I understand, Yugi."

"Good." Yugi sniffed and he bent his head over his bowl, slowly eating his breakfast in silence.

"I'm going to take quick shower, come get me when you're ready to head to campus." Yami said casually, and he headed up the stairs.

* * *

Kaiba's eyes shot open when he heard a soft knock on his door. He sat up quickly and realized he had fallen asleep on the bed.

"Seto?" Mokuba's voice drifted through a crack in the doorway.

Kaiba quickly composed himself, "Come in Mokuba."

Mokuba slowly opened the door and took a few steps into the room. "Why are you still here Seto? Are you sick?"

Kaiba furrowed his brown, confused, "I'm feeling fine."

"But Seto, I'm about to head to school, it's 7:30AM right now." Mokuba said, looking concerned.

Kaiba felt his blood run cold, he was an hour late for his shift at the bakery.

"I'm gonna go now Seto," Mokuba said, backing away slowly, "I'll see you later!" He quickly shut the door behind him and sprinted down the stairs.

Kaiba leaped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, fraught with anxiety and distress. He stepped into the shower and clumsily plopped black hair dye onto his palms. Hastily drying himself after the rinse, he stabbed himself in the eye several times, while unsuccessfully attempting to apply the brown contact lenses in a panic. Kaiba looked up at the mirror and forced himself to breathe. A pale, dark haired, brown-eyed reflection stared back at him.

Rushing out of the bathroom, Kaiba fervently threw on the last set of casual clothes his secretary had purchased for him and hurried out the door. Running out into the driveway where a car was waiting, he threw himself in the backseat, panting and breathless.

"Good morning Mr. Kai-," the driver stiffed with surprise. "Um..sir, please exit this vehicle peacefully or I shall call security to forcefully remove you."

"I_ am_ Kaiba." Kaiba growled furiously, "Drive towards the university campus. Now."

The driver began to visibly sweat, "Sir, may I see some identification?"

Kaiba was about to pop a vein. "Are you fucking serious?! If the car doesn't start this minute..", Kaiba threatened, "You. Are. Fired."

The driver trembled in his seat, "P-Please wait while I confirm.." He fumbled around for his cell phone and began making a call.

_Unbelievable!_ Kaiba fumed, looking at the time, he was now close to 2 hours late for his shift. He made a mental note to schedule the same driver for these exploits at all times.

The driver finished the call and slowly turned around in his seat to face Kaiba, "Sir..I-I am so sorry, I d-didn't realize.."

"Just. drive." Kaiba groaned, rubbing his temples as he felt his head throb with anger and exhaustion.

The terrified driver obeyed, and they sped towards their destination.

* * *

Yami rhythmically tapped his pen against his notepad as he sat in class, his eyes mindlessly following the professor walking back and forth across the podium. He looked down at his notepad and realized he hadn't actually written anything down, other than a few long scratches of ink running across the page where he had fallen asleep while the pen was touching the paper. Yami shook his head slightly and willed himself to stay awake, the images from Kaiba's office visit swam to the surface of his mind.

_Why was Kaiba so aroused?_ Yami thought furtively, _Did I interrupt him in the middle of...talking with a woman? _ Yami swallowed nervously._ Surely, a young, rich bachelor like Seto Kaiba would have thousands of women courting him._

Almost instinctively, Yami reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers tightly around his new phone. To his surprise, it buzzed reassuringly. He pulled it out and tapped the screen; it was a text from Yugi, "Do you want to grab lunch?" it read.

"Yes!" Yami wrote back quickly. And then on an afterthought, he wrote, "Do you think Kaiba has a girlfriend?"

His phone buzzed as Yugi responded, "Omg, Yami, are you STILL thinking about that?! I'll bet he currently has, or has had, tons of girlfriends! He's famous. And rich. Why else do you think Joey and Tristan try to follow him around so much during dueling events?"

Yami felt his breath constrict in his throat as he remembered witnessing crowds of screaming women pushing against separation barriers at several duels where Kaiba was involved. The text on the screen started to blur as he felt his eyes water slightly. The phone hummed again as Yugi said, "Seriously Yami, just don't worry about it. He's not our friend, really, so...it's none of our business."

The phone vibrated for a third time as Yugi wrote, "See you for lunch, text you details later! Joey and Anzu might come too!"

Yami realized he was getting dirty looks from neighboring classmates and he looked apologetically back at them as he tucked his phone away. He faced the podium and tried to pay attention for the remainder of class.

* * *

Kaiba sprinted into the alleyway towards the back entrance of the bakery. He grabbed the handle and yanked forcefully, but it was locked. Cursing under his breath, he hurried around the building towards the entrance, feeling his pulse rise in panic.

_I've never been 2 hours late for anything!_ Kaiba screamed at himself angrily, _Today is the day I get fired from a low wage position!_

He grabbed the chrome gold handles of the bakery doors and swung them open. Jason, the bakery's manager, was bent over the cash register screen, mumbling intently, barely visible from behind a large stack of boxes sitting on the white marble counter.

Kaiba stood before him, breathless, his feelings of dread mounting higher and higher the longer he went unnoticed.

Jason finally spoke, not looking at Kaiba, and frowning fixedly at the register screen. "So. New hire, you decided to show up today, huh?"

Kaiba nodded silently and tensed, bracing himself for the worst.

"Well," The manager said gravely, "Normally you would be fired, but we're extremely short-handed, and I believe in second chances, so, grab an apron and redeem yourself. "

Reeling from shock, Kaiba carefully walked past the long marble counter and pushed aside a few boxes, accessing the kitchen door.

"Wait." Jason said sternly, "How exactly are you planning on redeeming yourself today? I'd like to know."

Kaiba paused and gave the manager a meaningful look, "I'll gladly set up registers and whip up something for you to sample during our break."

Jason nodded, appearing satisfied. Kaiba hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the neatly folded mint-green apron that was waiting for him on the counter. He quickly did a lap around the kitchen, looking for ingredients he could use to make his apology pastries. Kaiba grabbed butter from the refrigerator and set it out to thaw at room temperature. Next, he managed to hunt down a bag of sugar, honey, and flour, which he arranged purposefully around the bowl of thawing butter. He checked his watch and made a mental note to check the progress of the butter in an hour, and headed back out towards the front.

Jason was still squinting shrewdly at the register monitors, "Okay this baby is giving me some t-r-ouble."

Kaiba leaned over the manager's shoulder and glanced at the screen. It seemed like a simple program installation. "Sir," Kaiba said stiffly, "If you don't mind, I'd like to take it from here."

"Be my guest!" Jason said with a flourishing gesture. "I am so done with this. I spent the entire morning trying to get this damn thing to work. I'm going to blow off some steam with some box-opening." He walked off in a frustrated huff and disappeared behind the large mounds of cardboard.

Kaiba leaned down and began expertly integrating the built-in program for the register. He felt his phone hum in his apron pocket and he absently silenced it. He tried to shove it into his back pocket, but realized his company phone already occupying it. Kaiba made sure to fully shut off his company phone and placed his personal phone before him on the white marble counter. He quietly suppressed a yawn as he watched the program load slowly on the screen.

"Hey!" Jason yelled, "None of that! I saw that yawn!"

Kaiba lowered his head trying to appear apologetic, "The program is taking a while to load."

"Then grab a screwdriver, help me out here." Jason said loudly. Kaiba obliged and stepped out from around the counter to join him in the mass of cardboard boxes.

Time passed quickly as the two men worked together swiftly and the cafe portion of the bakery was coming together quite nicely. Soon, all the boxes were gone, and a messy stack of cardboard sat messily in the center of the room. Jason sat back on his heels and wiped his brow, "Well, seems like we made a lot of progress! I'll take my break first!"

Kaiba suddenly leapt to his feet, "Shit! I left butter out on the counter!"

"Oh!" Jason said, pulling off his apron and throwing it over his shoulder, "Yea, go check on that. I'll be back in 20 minutes. Today it's just you and me again."

Kaiba wasn't listening. He ran into the kitchen and was relieved to see the butter had thawed to his liking. He gathered milk and eggs from the refrigerator and began expertly whisking the ingredients together. Kaiba paused for a moment, contemplating his next actions. He turned around and rummaged in the cabinet behind him, looking for inspiration. He spotted a sad box of English black tea, half-opened and forgotten.

Feeling a rare spark of excitement, Kaiba hastily grabbed the tea packets and threw them in a bowl with hot water. He placed them in the microwave and as he waited for the tea bags to boil, he whipped up a basic vanilla meringue and emptied the cream cleanly into a piping bag.

Kaiba set the piping bag full of frosting the refrigerator, and returned with milk. He then methodically poured the milk and the black tea into his prepped batter, mixing assiduously. He skillfully poured them into a large cupcake mold, and in one fluid motion, slid them into the oven. Kaiba stepped back and wiped his hands on a towel, feeling extremely pleased with himself. He reached around for his phone to set a personal timer for the oven, but realized he had left it at the front.

Kaiba rushed back out and grabbed his phone, quickly setting an alarm for 12 minutes. He heard a soft knock on the glass and he glanced up, alarmed. He saw a slender, spiky-haired figure peering in. Kaiba felt his stomach leap upwards and his pulse started to race. It was Yami, it had to be.

_Stay in character_, Kaiba reminded himself firmly as he stepped around the large pile of cardboard debris, and approached the spiky-haired figure, grinning.

Yami felt excited and surprised to see Hiro's smiling at him through the glass. He waved enthusiastically.

Kaiba waved back lightly, pushed the door open, squinting as he stepped outside into the bright sunshine. Yami looked up at Hiro, appreciating his height, and admiring his black hair in contrast with the sun.

"How are you doing?" Yami asked, smiling up at Hiro, trying to contain his delight.

Kaiba felt strangely light, dazzled by Yami's smile, "I'm doing well, how was your class? You seem to always be available this time in the morning."

"I am," Yami agreed, "And what time are you available? Would you like to join me for lunch?"

Kaiba felt himself shake slightly, "Lunch? I'm not...sure." he said slowly, suddenly feeling agitated. _Was this a date?  
_  
Yami tried to hide his disappointment, "I see. May I have your contact information? Perhaps you could let me know if you could join us later."

Kaiba pulled the corners of his mouth up into a smile, he was ready for this, "Yes, here." He reached into his apron pocket and pulled out his personal phone. Yami happily tapped Hiro's number into his phone and smiled up at him again, "Thank you!"

Kaiba nodded towards Yami's phone, "Nice, is that new?"

Yami felt himself blush, "It is, it was gift."

Kaiba liked that reaction. "A gift? From who?" he prodded, trying to gain insight on what Yami thought of it.

"Yes, well, I don't think it was supposed to be a gift. And I suppose this person isn't really my friend. I'm not sure." Yami rambled, trying to sort out his own confusion.

Kaiba frowned, bothered by this response, "You don't consider this person your friend, and yet you accepted such an expensive gift?"

"No!" Yami cried, "I do consider him a friend! I don't think he feels the same way...about.. me." He stared at his shoes, his voice trailed off lamely as despair started to overwhelm him.

Kaiba raised his eyebrows in amusement, "Well I'm sure _he _considers you as...," Kaiba paused and swallowed, realizing what he was about to say. "A friend." he finished.

Yami shook his head sullenly, "You don't understand. There is a gap, a distance, between us. I cannot close it."

Kaiba glared at Yami in frustration, "What are you talking about? What gap."

Yami looked up at him and Kaiba realized his eyes were slightly wet, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Tell me." Kaiba insisted, and the alarm on his phone started buzzing violently in his pocket. He ignored it.

"Yami." Kaiba said in the most gentle manner he could muster, placing a warm hand on Yami's shoulder, "You can tell me."

Yami looked away pointedly and stepped back away from his reach, "Your phone is ringing."

Kaiba felt like exploding, "Stay here, I'll be right back." He turned his heel and furiously made his way back into the kitchen.

_What the hell is he talking about,_ Kaiba fumed as he removed a tray of beautiful light brown cupcakes from the oven. He shut the door with a force, causing hot air to blast him in the face. He blinked and suddenly there was a sharp stinging in his eye.

"Fuckk!" He yelled in pain as one of his contacts slid out of place. Kaiba leaned his head back and let his eyes water as he blinked several times, allowing the contact to settle. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down. He grabbed the piping bag from the refrigerator and began viciously piping the cupcakes.

Kaiba felt the anger settle down into a small pit in his chest as he squeezed the piping bag, repeatedly swirling frosting onto the cakes, one after another. There was calm in the rhythmic actions. Before long, a fresh set of softly swirled cupcakes laid gleaming before him and Kaiba stepped back to admire his work. You would never have guessed these were made in a fit of rage. He heard the door behind him click, and Jason strode in surely, "Hey there!"

Kaiba nodded at him and made his way over to the sink, washing his hands silently.

"Wow!" The manager exclaimed, hovering delightedly over the cupcakes, "You made these just now?! Classic, vanilla cupcakes?"

Kaiba dried his hands on a nearby towel, "Black milk tea cupcakes, help yourself." he said, feeling apprehensive as he watched Jason eagerly picked one up and take a large bite.

"Oh wow." Jason said with his mouth full, "Oh wow oh wow," He repeated again as he took another large bite enthusiastically. Kaiba felt a small twinge of pride swell up inside him, but it was quickly extinguished and replaced with dread when Jason said, "Hey, your..uh, boyfriend is waiting outside for you."

"R-Right," Kaiba choked, "I thought he would've left already."

Jason grinned while he wiped frosting from the corners of his mouth, "You playin' dumb? He knows this is around the time of your break, bring him one of these! Don't be long!"

"I've only been here for about two hours...and I was late. I still get my scheduled break?" Kaiba asked incredulously.

"We worked pretty fast today!" Jason exclaimed, "And these are delicious, so I think you deserve your break."

"Thank you." Kaiba mumbled as he hastily untied his apron and grabbed the tray of cupcakes from the stainless steel counter, heading out the back door.

"20 minutes!" Jason yelled as the door closed. Kaiba swung around to say something but the door slammed shut too quickly. _Right,_ Kaiba thought viciously as he set an alarm on his phone, _I'll be sure to return on time, this time.  
_

He stepped out from the dark alleyway and squinted as the light from the sun washed over him. Kaiba spotted Yami sitting on his usual bench across the street, under the trees. Taking a deep breath, he waited at the crossing, reminding himself not to do anything stupid.

Yami saw a tall, dark haired figure standing across the street. He leaned forward and gripped the edge of the bench tightly. He felt guilty but wasn't sure why. _This is wrong,_ Yami concluded. _I am physically attracted to this stranger I've only just met, but the person I really wish to pursue is out of my reach._

Hiro was getting closer with each step. Yami gritted his teeth and looked up at the tree leaves swaying gently in the breeze. _I should just be honest and attempt to clear any misunderstandings, _Yami resolved. A long shadow fell across the ground before him and Yami looked up at Hiro, who was standing apprehensively before him, holding a tray of beautifully iced cupcakes.

Yami blinked in surprise, "Wow, those are.."

"For you," Kaiba interjected, "Try one?"

"Of course, thank you," Yami stammered nervously, gently picking a cupcake up from the tray. He stared at it in his hand, admiring the delicate swirl of frosting. "These are still warm!" Yami exclaimed happily. Kaiba sat down carefully beside Yami, balancing the tray on his lap, watching Yami stare at the pastry.

"Go ahead, eat it while they're still fresh, " Kaiba urged.

"I can't," Yami said playfully, "It's too pretty. Let me send a photo of this to Yugi!" And he pulled out his phone to snap photos of the pastry. Kaiba resisted the urge to severely roll his eyes, but was glad to see Yami enjoying the new phone so enthusiastically. Then he almost forgot to stay in character and ask, "Who's Yugi, again?"

Yami laughed heartily, "My twin, have you forgotten? You've met him briefly, twice!" He delicately bit into the cupcake and enjoyed the soft, milky flavor, warmly spreading through his mouth. There was a slightly bittersweet aftertaste, which surprised him, "What flavor are these?"

"Black milk tea cupcakes." Kaiba said simply, carefully watching Yami's face for a reaction.

"These are delicious and unique, I love the slight aftertaste of tea." Yami said seriously, gazing directly into Hiro's light brown eyes. Kaiba felt electrified, and looked away quickly, trying to quell his emotions.

"Glad you like them," Kaiba responded quietly, looking out across campus. A large group of people began walking by, it seemed like a class had just gotten out. He watched them intently, trying to pass the time as naturally as possible.

Yami's phone buzzed as Yugi responded to the photo, "Where did you get that?" he wrote.

"Hiro, from the bakery." Yami replied, tapping the screen quickly.

Kaiba glanced over at Yami, gleefully engrossed in his phone. "Seems like you're really enjoying your new phone." Kaiba said, feeling satisfied with himself.

"I.." Yami started, and then set his phone down carefully, "Yes, and, I want to apologize for my vagueness in our conversation earlier."

_Damn right,_ Kaiba thought ferociously, _you better fucking explain yourself._ He softened his eyes and smiled at Yami, "I'm ready to listen."

Yami took a deep breath, "This phone was given to me by Seto Kaiba." He paused waiting for a reaction from Hiro.

Kaiba hesitated, then faked a gasp, "_The_ Seto Kaiba? So you and your group of friends, you guys are like, what, famous?"

Yami looked imploringly into Hiro's soft brown eyes, "_He's_ famous, and we've merely been dragged along for the ride. At least, that's how I feel." Yami looked down at his knees, gracefully sliding one leg over the other, "Do you see now? What I meant when I said there was a gap between him and I?"

Kaiba felt unnerved at this new information, this was making him feel extremely uncomfortable, "Well, if he gave this phone to you in person, that must mean something, right?" he asked tentatively.

Yami shook his head mutely, "No. It doesn't mean anything. I am merely just someone else in his eyes. He and I barely know each other. If anything, he believes I am my twin brother, Yugi. He refuses to acknowledge the differences between me and Yugi. He doesn't address me by my name, and furthermore, millions of women fawn over him because he is desirable." Yami felt tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes, and he mentally slapped himself. He forced himself to look out at the crowds of congregating students, willing himself not to show any emotion.

Kaiba felt strained, "You're upset because he confuses you with your twin, and that's understandable." He said, attempting to repress the feelings of guilt swelling up inside him.

Yami blinked and blinked, "Yes. And I've been a struggling to gain my own identity, one separate from Yugi, and it's been extremely difficult. I want a life of my own, and I wish to portray that towards Seto Kaiba. I haven't been very successful. "

"Why Seto Kaiba?" Kaiba responded, desperately trying to steer the conversation into safer waters.

"Because, I find him..desirable, but I think its best for everyone if I give up." Yami said quietly.

Kaiba felt as though he'd been hit with a heavy object, "Wait..., Wait, what?"

Yami turned around to face Hiro with glistening eyes, "I would like to get to know you better, Hiro, and you can disregard my previous statement." Yami attempted to laugh. "I'm silly, it's just a silly celebrity crush."

_He likes me?! When? How?!_ Kaiba screamed mentally, attempting to keep his facial expressions neutral.

"How is it the 'best for everyone' for you to give up?" Kaiba said numbly, "How long has this been going on?"

"He's not well liked by any of my friends, and," Yami tilted his head, thinking, "I've had my eye on him for years."

_YEARS?!_ Kaiba seethed internally, _and somehow I get to find out about this, now, dressed as a complete stranger. Should I tell him? _Kaiba debated frantically_, Can I just tell him who I am, now? Time to do some damage control._

"If you've liked him for years, surely there was a time you could've let him know how you feel." Kaiba said, not quite believing the sentences coming out of his mouth. _I've never considered seriously dating a man before, _he contemplated privately. He always imagined he'd end up with a woman one way or another.

"Hiro," Yami said, looking Kaiba full in the face, "There was never a time I could do that. Even now, I cannot approach him under the correct circumstances. Please, if what I said doesn't deter you, I wish to continue our...friendship. Can we do that?" Yami gazed beseechingly towards Kaiba. Yami's eyes were hypnotizing, Kaiba felt himself sway slightly under the pressure.

"I..-" Kaiba opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted with a loud squeals from a group of female students passing by.

"Ohmigosh, where did you get those?!" A slender brunette pointed at the tray resting on his lap. "Oh my god those are so cute, may we have one?" her friend added, tucking her hair seductively behind her ear. Kaiba felt his grip tighten on the sides of the tray. He stole a glance over at Yami, who was sitting still as a statue, shocked at the interruption.

Kaiba smirked and stood fluidly, holding the tray before him, "Please do. Tell all your friends, we're opening next week!"

The girls giggled delightfully as more people began gathering around them at the sight of free food. The slender brunette casually linked her arm though Kaiba's and threw her head back, "Free cupcakes!" she yelled shrilly, "The bakery is opening next week people!"

The group cheered appreciatively while Kaiba stood rigidly, holding the pan of cupcakes as people were actively photographing and sharing them. Kaiba felt vicious satisfaction as people crowded around, asking questions about the bakery.

Yami crossed his legs irritably, watching as the crowd of people thinned, the group of girls remained, hanging onto Hiro's every word about when to add milk to the mixture. He glared at the brunette and sulked.

_I can't win,_ Yami thought ferociously. _There are clear, predictable strategies to win a duel, but when it comes to people..._Yami shook his head in defeat and moodily checked his phone. There were no messages. He looked back up and realized the group of girls had left, and only the brunette remained. Yami caught strings of their conversation from a distance.

"...party! Want to come? Text me.." She flirted, swinging around on Kaiba's arm gleefully.

Kaiba recoiled hastily, tucking the empty cupcake tray under his free arm, "No thank you. I have plans. All week. I'm busy all the time."  
He stole another glance over at Yami who was looking murderously over at them from the bench.

_I think I've made my point clear enough,_ Kaiba thought smugly. He shook the girl off his arm and said viciously, "I like men. Please let go of me."

"Oh..." she said nonplussed, "Well, do you like..me? You look compatible with women as well!"

Kaiba felt a migraine coming on. "Please," He said through gritted teeth, "I have to get back to work."

The girl threw him a glassy-eyed look, "When do you get off work?"

Kaiba wanted to kill something. Yami looked like he was about to leave, and Kaiba started to panic. Suddenly an idea struck him.

"Hey." He said, looking down at the girl on his arm, "I want to show you something. Come and see?"

"Oooo yes!" She squealed excitedly, gripping onto his arm even tighter, "I'm here, what is it?"

Kaiba smirked mischievously, "Follow me." And he led the girl over to the bench where Yami was sitting with his arms and legs tightly crossed, wearing his classic scowl.

"We're here." Kaiba announced, standing as close to Yami as he could manage.

The girl appeared confused, "What?"

"Yami, look at me," Kaiba commanded.

Yami complied despondently, tilting his head to look up at Hiro.

Kaiba seized this moment to boldly reached out, cupping Yami's face between his palms and brought his lips directly down onto his, gently, slowly melting into the welcoming wetness of Yami's mouth. Startled, Yami froze, and felt Hiro's lips wonderfully engulf his, and he opened his mouth slightly, feeling the tip of Hiro's tongue hungrily graze the roof of his mouth.

_He doesn't taste like coffee today,_ Yami noted privately, opening his eyes slightly, enjoying the sight of Hiro's face against his, feeling his dark bangs brush against his forehead, sending shivers down his legs.

"Oh, my god. Ew." The girl said, disgusted, and she marched off indignantly.

Fiercely satisfied and extremely pent up from his earlier frustrations, Kaiba pulled Yami in closer towards him, threading his fingers through his spiky hair, greedily exploring his mouth with his tongue. He pulled away slightly and playfully bit Yami's lower lip, and then pushed his lips harder back onto his, never wanting to stop or pull away. Yami was lost, swimming in pleasure and he felt his neck straining upwards, as Hiro was pulling him higher into him. He couldn't breathe, his body was gushing with warmth. He couldn't breathe...he couldn't breathe.

Yami gasped as he pulled away from Hiro, breathless and stunned at the sudden show of affection. Kaiba was dismayed at the rapid loss of contact and struggled to compose himself, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away," Kaiba lied, unable to find the right words to convey his feelings.

"That's...that's quite alright." Yami panted, feeling his lips swell and tingle painfully with need.

Kaiba bent forward again and gently kissed Yami's forehead lightly, trailing his lips lightly down the bridge of Yami's nose. Yami shivered and opened his mouth again slightly, expecting another kiss, but Kaiba straightened up and turned to leave, "I need to head back. I have a few hours left on my shift, I'll message you."

"Oh, I see." Yami said simply, feeling numb. Kaiba resolutely turned around and headed back towards the bakery, quickly checking his phone, relieved to see he hadn't violated his break time limit.

He entered though the back door leading into the kitchen, thankful that it had been kept unlocked. He placed the empty cupcake tray in one of the large industrial sinks and grabbed his apron from the kitchen counter. He tied it on hastily and hurried out to the front where Jason was sweeping up cardboard debris off the floor.

"Welcome back," Jason said, glancing at the clock, "And on time too, what a surprise!"

Kaiba felt his face heat up, "Sir." He said respectfully.

"Here's a broom," The manager said blithely, handing him a spare brush and pan, "And no need to call me "sir", that feels weird considering how we're close in age. Call me Jason."

Kaiba took the broom and pan from Jason and began sweeping.

"So, not trying to be nosy...", Jason began, "But you and your boyfriend sure seem to love smooching on that bench there."

Kaiba wanted to die. Embarrassed, he began sweeping more vigorously, "I'm sorry you had to witness that." he mumbled under his breath.

"Nah, nah," Jason waved dismissively, "I don't care about that stuff, I don't mind. I'm kinda curious how you two met, considering how he's kind of a mini-celebrity!"

Kaiba felt his blood run cold, "What do you mean he's a mini-celebrity?"

"You don't know?!" Jason asked incredulously, "He's Yugi Motou, duelist extraordinaire, do you keep up with pop culture? Hmm maybe I shouldn't be the one to tell you this, if you didn't know," Jason said guiltily.

Kaiba brushed a pile of debris into his pan and emptied it in an adjacent garbage bag, his mind frantically scrambling. "Well..we..met, online." Kaiba said lamely.

"Classic." Jason grinned, "He's a looker. Hang onto him!"

"What?" Kaiba said, feeling slightly suspicious.

"Oh don't worry, no competition here," Jason laughed heartily, "I'm just saying he's pretty attractive, for a guy. Y'know, big eyes, nice hair..all that.." Jason eyed Hiro playfully, "I like women, it's my niece you gotta worry about. She's a huge fan of Yugi's."

Kaiba felt his mouth fall open in surprise, "Oh? She likes him?"

"Oh yea," Jason said, dumping a large pile of debris off his pan and into the garbage, "She's got a poster of him and everything, likes watching him play, I don't think she actually cares much about what the cards do. Didn't know Yugi was gay, I guess I shouldn't be the one to tell her."

Kaiba felt his mind spiraling, "Well, that's not Yugi."

Jason wiped his brow and looked at Hiro with a strange expression, "Kid, I'm sorry if he told you otherwise, but that's who he is. I feel bad for bringing it up, I thought you'd know."

_I understand why Yami feels offended when he's mistaken for Yugi_, Kaiba glowered privately.

"But speaking of my niece, she'll be coming in and helping out! So it'll be us three, she'll be on the registers, you're on baking duty, and I'll run back and forth, help out wherever I'm needed. I run a tight ship. " Jason said excitedly.

Kaiba nodded, continuing to sweep in silence. He felt his phone buzz in his apron pocket. He pulled it out and checked the screen, pleased to see it was a message from Yami, "Lunch at 2:30, can you make it?"

Kaiba glanced at the clock and realized time and flown by really fast, his shift was almost over.

"Garbage time!" Jason sang, "Grab those bags and throw it out! I'm going to refresh with some water." He turned and headed back into the kitchen.

Kaiba quickly replied to the text, "I can make it. Location?" He stowed the phone back in his apron and dragged 3 large bags of garbage out through the back door, passing by Jason who was scrolling through his phone, sipping water while sitting on the steel counters.

Kaiba flung the garbage over the edge of the dumpster and headed back inside, his phone buzzed again. "'Wait for me out front, I'll come get you :)" Yami replied. Kaiba felt his chest tingle with warmth as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and headed back inside to finish his shift.

* * *

Yami slung his bag over his shoulder and hurried across campus. He heard a yell from behind him, "Yamiii!" He turned around, surprised to see it was Joey and Anzu.

"Hey, " Yami said lightly, "You caught me just as I was heading to our meeting spot with Yugi."

"We'll go together!" Joey exclaimed, throwing an arm around his shoulder roughly, making him lose balance. Yami stumbled forward slightly and stayed silent, contemplating how to casually invite Hiro to their lunch outing.

They spotted Yugi talking to a group of people, they waved at him from a distance, "We're here Yugi!" Anzu called, waving him over.

Yugi flashed a thumbs-up and headed towards them. Yami felt his stomach dip down with nervousness. "Yami!" Yugi exclaimed happily, giving him a meaningful hug.

"Aibou," Yami said slowly, "Hiro is joining us for lunch, would that be alright?" He glanced around the group and Anzu nodded whereas Joey looked confused. "Who?" he said loudly.

"The tall, dark-haired bakery guy, right? No problem! I'm driving." Anzu said happily.

"Alright!" Yugi said, looking at Yami carefully, "How do you want to do this?"

Yami felt himself blush lightly, "I asked him to wait at the front of the bakery."

"Nice, we can just drive by and pick him up real quick!" Anzu exclaimed, pulling the keys out of her purse.

"I'll walk to the bakery and meet you there," Yami said quickly, hoping to catch a few private moments with Hiro.

"Gotcha." Yugi said casually, "Let's go!"

Yami watched as the trio parted ways with him and headed towards the parking lot. He adjusted the strap on his bag and rushed in the opposite direction, "I'm on my way." Yami texted, half-running at the same time.

Kaiba stood expectantly by the edge of the crossing, glancing around, and saw a slender spiky haired figure walking swiftly towards him. His heart leapt up to his throat and he felt a strange feeling consuming him.

_Why am I entertaining this? What the hell am I doing?_ Kaiba berated himself, unsure of why he continued to respond to Yami against his will.

Yami ran up beside Hiro, bent over, panting slightly, "I'm glad.." Yami managed to get out, between breaths.

Something possessed Kaiba to reach out and lightly brush the spiky blond bangs out of Yami's face. Yami felt his breath catch as he felt Hiro's long, slender fingers brush across his forehead, sending a shiver through his body. Almost instinctively, Yami reached out and daringly wrapped his arms around Hiro's slender waist, pulling him into an embrace.

Kaiba was astonished at the sudden warmth, and he gently placed his hands steadily on Yami's back, feeling Yami's heart pounding loudly against his chest.

_Oh,_ Kaiba thought astounded, _What is this? A hug?  
_  
"Are you alright?" Kaiba asked, tentatively, looking down at the mass of spiky hair pressed up against his chest.

Yami said nothing and gripped the fabric of Hiro's shirt tighter, feeling his chest hurt from the pounding of his heart.

Kaiba took this as a good sign and enveloped Yami in his arms tightly, burying his face into the nape of his neck, feeling his spiky hair tickle his nose. Yami felt the air leave his lungs as Hiro pulled him into a crushing embrace, his breath tickled his ear as Hiro bent his head down and nuzzled his face into Yami's neck.

Yami laughed a little, "Ahhaha that tickles, Hiro!" he cried, squirming around in Hiro's arms, enjoying the strength of his embrace.

Kaiba released Yami, feeling somewhat dizzy, unsure if it was from exhaustion or hunger. They stood there for a few moments, looking at each other.

A car pulled up on the curbside and a familiar voice shouted, "Get in! We're hungry!"

Yami smiled warmly and walked towards the car, leaving Kaiba standing there in a daze. Kaiba quickly snapped out of it and walked up to the open car door, the blissful feeling slipping away the closer he got towards the car.

To his surprise, the passenger seat was empty; Joey, Yugi and Yami crowded happily together in the back seat. "Sit!" Anzi insisted, "I figured you didn't want to smush in the back because you're so tall, " She laughed lightheartedly. Kaiba's chest constricted, he felt touched, it was a thoughtful gesture. He ducked his head and climbed into the car, shutting the door firmly.

"Ayyeee let's go eat some meat!" Joey yelled from behind him. Kaiba didn't even flinch; he was starving and couldn't agree more.

Anzu pursed her lips, "Joey, the guest always gets to choose. You can't always dictate where we get to eat." Yugi groaned, "Please Anzu can we just go?"

"No." She said firmly, and looked at Hiro, "Well?" She asked expectantly. Kaiba felt himself stiffen with surprise, not accustomed to preferential treatment from the group. "Ah, oh..uhm, meat, would be great." Kaiba stumbled on his words, trying his best to sound clueless.

"Fuck yea,_ eat it_, Anzu." Joey cried, leaning forward in his seat. Kaiba felt a laugh inadvertently escape his throat, and instantly felt terrified, worried it may have sounded rude, but laughter was echoing around the car.

"Meat it is." Anzu said as she floored the gas, and they took off.

Kaiba felt surreal, what was going on?! There was a pleasant atmosphere in the car, a deliciously warm breeze whipped around the car, blowing reassuringly through his hair, laughter from the backseat floated around him, and the sun shone warmly from behind scattered clouds. He leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath, feeling himself relax.

_This is so nice_, Kaiba thought deliriously, _or maybe I'm just exhausted which is why I'm being more tolerant._

To his slight disappointment, the car ride ended sooner than he would've liked. They pulled up in front of a large burger establishment. Yugi and Joey leaped enthusiastically out of the car and ran inside, not waiting for anyone else.

"Wow, you losers! Way to wait for your DRIVER! You're all walking home!" Anzu yelled, slamming her door shut and rushing out of the car, forgetting to lock the doors.

Kaiba sat in his seat, stunned at the sudden shift in attitude. _Were they always this murderous when food was involved?_ Kaiba mused as he stepped out the car, making sure to press the 'lock' button on his side of the door.

"Oh, you've got it?" Yami asked, surprised, "Thank you for doing that, I'm usually the one who takes care of it."

Kaiba shrugged, "No problem, let's go inside, I'm starving."  
Yami leaned playfully against the car, "Me too, but, not for food, if you get what I'm saying."

Kaiba blinked several times, unable to process what was happening before him.

"I'm saying I want...something other than food, in..my..mouth." Yami said, leaning seductively against Hiro.

Kaiba felt Yami's weight press into him and he threw caution to the wind. He snaked his arms around Yami's slender hips and pressed his lips against the soft curves of Yami's collarbone. He felt Yami gasp slightly and Kaiba felt himself losing self control. Kaiba gently grazed his teeth against Yami's skin and felt Yami quiver. That encouraged Kaiba to trail his lips up Yami's neck and he flicked his tongue out softly, licking the curve of Yami's jawbone.

"No," Yami whispered faintly, "Come up here..."

_Gladly_, Kaiba thought blurrily, roughly kissing him, and forcefully pressing Yami up against the car door. Yami felt a sharp pain as his lower back bumped against the curvature of the car door handle. Yami felt a pleasurable, warm, hardness pressing into his waist. Excited, Yami boldly trailed his fingers around Hiro's body, to lightly brush against the erection that was fighting to escape from under Hiro's belt.

Kaiba felt his entire body shudder violently with pleasure as Yami's slender fingers trailed over his boner. _Oh god..._, Kaiba groaned internally, but he forced himself to remember that they were in a public area. He peeled himself off of Yami and took a few steps backwards, gasping for breath. This was a dangerous situation. It seemed the more time he spent with Yami, the easier it was to start, and the harder it was to stop.

"Hey, come back here," Yami insisted, approaching Hiro eagerly with his arms outstretched.

"No," Kaiba gasped, feeling a cold sweat run down his back, "No more, please. Not here. I don't think I'll be able to stop as easily."

Yami was taken aback by the sudden honesty, "Of course..and," He looked up shyly at Hiro, blushing deeply, "...And I feel the same way."

Kaiba took a long, shaky breath, as blood pounded through his head, leaving a light ringing in his ears. "Let's go eat." He said quietly, and they headed inside.

The group was already seated with their full orders, energetically devouring their heavy portions of burgers and fries.

"What took you guys so long?" Yugi asked, in between bites, "The line was taking forever so we ordered for you guys, hope that's okay!"

"We were checking the doors on the car and...just talking." Yami said quickly, glancing surreptitiously at Hiro for confirmation on this lie. Kaiba was so hungry, he didn't care who said what. He sat down at the empty seat beside Yugi, grabbed the nearest burger he could reach and unwrapped it fervently, not caring if he was about to eat the shittiest burger in the world.

"Wait wait!" Joey cried, shoving a large orange bottle at him, "You gotta add this sauce in there, bro, it's worth it, trust me."

"Fine," Kaiba snapped, forgetting for a moment who he was supposed to be. He grabbed the bottle, peeled the bun off his burger and callously drenched the meat with the bright orange sauce. He reconstructed his burger and took a large bite, expecting the worst. But, it was surprisingly delicious! The meat was evenly seasoned, all the wet ingredients were fresh, and the sauce kicked in with a sweet, round spice at the end of his pallet.

"Oh, wow," Kaiba groaned appreciatively, "What's in this sauce?"

"Right?" Yugi nodded responsively, "Wish we could buy it, but its their 'secret house sauce', so it's not for sale."

"I see," Kaiba said, taking excessively large bites of his burger and finishing it off readily reaching for a second one.

"You'll like this one," Yami said, handing him a burger in a purple wrapper, "This one has a double-layered fried beef patty."

Kaiba couldn't believe his ears, and eagerly accepted the burger from Yami, "Thank you." He said, his stomach grumbling loudly.

"Eat up!" Anzu encouraged, "We've yet to try the whole menu!"

Kaiba repeated the ritual of drizzling his burger with orange sauce and enthusiastically took another large bite, trying to discern the ingredients of the mysterious condiment. Aside from the heavy beef flavor, Kaiba managed to pinpoint a few key flavors, a sharp spice, a deep sweetness, and a dull zest. He quickly pulled out his phone to take note of the flavors as quickly as he could remember them.

"Whatcha doin'," Joey asked, his mouth full of fries, "Touching your phone while eating is gross, man."

"Agree," Hiro nodded, "You'll thank me later, I promise." He shoved his phone back in his pocket and resumed eating. He glanced over at Yami who was delicately eating fries off the tray, apparently lost in thought.

"Hey Hiro," Yugi said suddenly.

"Hm?" Kaiba responded, startled, and he tried to swallow his food as quickly as possible to prepare himself for the onslaught of personal questions.

"Your cupcakes earlier this morning looked really nice! Just wanted to tell you that." Yugi said happily, "It's either that, or Yami's phone camera is really high quality."

Anzu laughed, "It's probably both! Man I could use a new phone..." She pulled out her phone and set it on the counter for everyone to see. The entire screen was cracked and the edges were chipped, missing bits of paint and plastic.

Kaiba unwittingly choked on his food, and coughed. Yami thumped him on the back, and handed him water.

Anzu looked offended, "What, it's not_ that_ bad is it?"

Kaiba had never seen such a sad looking piece of garbage before. "Does that still work?!" He asked skeptically, slowly sipping his water, "Yes, you do need a new one!"

Joey and Yugi laughed at him.  
"What." Hiro said defensively.

"It's on it's last legs but yea, she still works!" Anzu chirped, caressing the phone lovingly. "She's been through a lot with me."

"Ask Kaiba for a new one." Hiro said coolly, starting on his third burger. "Wheel-..Joey please pass the mystery sauce." Kaiba caught himself just in time.

"Ask Kaiba for...a new one?!" Anzu said shrilly, "Where did that come from?!"

_Oh shiiit_, Kaiba thought, and he realized Yami probably didn't tell anyone, aside from Yugi, about the new phone from Seto Kaiba.

Yami shot Hiro a frantic look, and Kaiba tried his best to look apologetic. "I'm sorry," he started, looking directly at Yami, "I didn't realize it was such a sensitive..topic."

"What's going on?!" Anzu demanded, "Explain!"

"Yami, received a new phone from Kaiba yesterday." Yugi said delicately.

Joey started coughing and sputtering into his food, "Wh-what.." he choked, "Since when was that d-bag known for his generosity!?"

Kaiba felt himself grind his teeth inadvertently.

"Exactly." Anzu nodded gravely, "I bet it comes with a price. What were his conditions, Yami? I can't believe you did that! That's dangerous you know!"

"What's wrong with keeping a free phone from a billionaire?" Hiro asked casually, dreading the response.

"Because," Anzu said seriously, looking directly into Hiro's dark brown eyes, "Things don't work that way with Seto Kaiba. It's always a give-and-take with that guy. The words 'favor' and 'generosity' are not in his personal dictionary. Before you know it, he'll come knocking on your door asking for something in return."

_Am I really like that?_ Kaiba thought faintly.

Yami was turning redder by the second, "Anzu is right, I shouldn't have accepted this expensive phone, and even you said this to me earlier today too, Hiro!" Yami cried, his eyes tearing up.

_Oh god what have I done_, Kaiba panned, _I just turned this fairly decent lunch into a shitfest. _

Yugi, sensing an imminent break-down, attempted to calm the group by saying, "Okay don't worry guys, it's not that big of a deal. Yami, if you're going to see Kaiba to return the phone, we'll _all_ go with you."

"Yea. We're all going." Anzu nodded in agreement. "Strength in numbers. He can't bully you if we're all there."

Joey made gurgling noises of discontent as he sucked on his straw loudly. Yami hung his head and leaned back moodily in his seat.

Kaiba felt the food coming up his stomach, burning his esophagus. _Oh fuck, oh shit_, Kaiba thought frantically._ I've just created more problems than I can solve.  
_  
He put his burger down, having lost his appetite, "When will you guys be going?"

"No offense, Hiro, but we'd rather you stay out of this." Yugi said gently, "We have a bit of a...history with Seto Kaiba, so the less strangers that show up, the better. Please understand."

Kaiba felt slightly taken aback, "No, of course, I don't want to get involved," he said quickly and he glanced at Yami who was still sitting silently with his head hanging.

"Yami!" Yugi said with surprising sternness, "When would you like to return the phone?"

Yami didn't move. "Yami?" Anzu asked, looking extremely concerned. Kaiba felt his guilt mounting higher and higher as the minutes ticked by.

"Tonight. We'll go tonight." Yami said, deadpanned.

"How will we know he's even going to be there?! How will we know he's not on some business trip in France or something?" Joey said desperately, trying to get out of it.

"I'll ask Mokuba." Yugi said resolutely, pulling out his phone, which, Kaiba noticed, was also an older model.

"He's not going to like that we're gonna gang up on his biiiig brothhherrr," Joey said in a mocking voice.

"He'll understand that this is a serious matter, and that it won't happen again," Anzu said sadly.

Yugi groaned and started tapping on his phone, muttering. "This would be so much easier if we were actually friends with Kaiba."

"Yea, because the world works that way," Anzu said sarcastically.

Kaiba found it was getting more and more difficult to breathe.

"Is be-friending Seto Kaiba difficult?" Hiro asked, trying to save face.

Joey scoffed, "Pulling teeth would be easier than makin' friends with that guy. He's spit in our faces more times than I can count. He's self-serving and won't help us out unless there's something in it for him."

Kaiba felt his thoughts reeling, recounting all the moments he and Wheeler had thrown punches at each other.

"I'm sorry," Yami whispered softly from beside Hiro.

Kaiba felt an enormous bubble of guilt and sorrow sink like a rock in his stomach. He had no idea his actions caused this much distress.

"What! No! This is NOT your fault!" Anzu cried.

"Yea, it really isn't Yami." Yugi said distractedly, texting Mokuba.

"Bro, don't take me seriously but, this is totally your fault. And I totally would've taken a free phone from Kaiba." Joey grumbled.

Kaiba was suddenly struck with a golden idea, but it would take some stealth to carry it out.

"Joey, do you have a favorite color?" Hiro asked.

"What? Oh, it's green." Joey responded glumly, "Why?"

"No reason," Kaiba said desperately, "Just trying to get to know you better, and any topic concerning Seto Kaiba is depressing."

"Mmhmm you can say that again," Anzu said, "And my favorite color is piiink, not that anyone cares," she sang.

"What about Tristan, and Valentine, and you, Yugi?" Kaiba pressed.

"Blue, white, black...", Anzu listed carelessly, "Serenity likes brown, what a weirdo."

Kaiba committed all of these to memory and said, "Thanks."

Yami glanced at Hiro suspiciously, "And you can suddenly remember everyone else's name, but somehow, earlier today, you didn't know who Yugi was?"

Kaiba was ready for this. "Matching names to faces is much easier than just hearing about the names," he countered, lying with ease. "I remembered Anzu the moment I saw her."

Anzu beamed, and replied, "I'm the same way!"

Kaiba smiled genuinely at her. _Thanks for backing up my lie,_ he thought secretly.

"Okay, confirmed." Yugi said emptily, "Mokuba says Kaiba will be back sometime past dinner, so in a few more hours, we'll grab the gang, and storm the fortress that is Kaiba Corp."

A gloom settled over the table as the group moodily picked at the remnants of their food. Kaiba couldn't' take it anymore, he felt like throwing up.

"I've got to go, I have a project that's due," Kaiba said, lying steadily. "Thank you so much for the food, here, let me pay you back."

"Nope." Anzu insisted, shaking her head vigorously, "First timers never pay. This is Joey's tab, because the DICKtator always pays."

"Gurlgh." Joey mumbled, "And I'm not even gonna argue. Today and tomorrow are gonna suck because of our Kaiba visit, I already know it."

"Oh," Kaiba said. He got up to leave, and made a mental note to repay Joey, as his debts towards the Yugi-gang were accruing.

"I'll drop you off at wherever you need to be," Anzu offered. "We're all done eating here, right gang?"

Joey and Yugi nodded glumly, Yami remained motionless. "Okay!" Anzu said, attempting to sound cheerful, and the group headed out towards the car.

The car ride back was distressing, as a suffocating silence blanketed the car, a giant contrast to their earlier car ride. Kaiba was feeling more unnerved by the second. He felt as though he were sitting on a million fire ants. He felt like apologizing, but he didn't quite know how to.

"A left turn here, please." Hiro said quietly, and Anzu quietly complied. She pulled up directly in front of his student apartment and he slowly climbed out of the passenger seat.

"Thank you. Really." Hiro said sincerely, leaning in through the open window, his black hair ruffling in the light breeze.

"Next time, it won't be like this." Yugi promised with a small smile. "Please join us again, maybe tomorrow, okay?"

Hiro nodded, and leaned back out of the car window and watched as they drove out of sight.

Sighing heavily, he pulled out his company phone from his back pocket and powered it on. He had a dozen missed calls, mostly from Mokuba, and a few texts from his secretary.

He called Mokuba back, bracing himself. "Hey big brother," Mokuba said, sounding serious.

"Hey Mokuba," Kaiba responded, in what he hoped was a light-hearted tone.

"Trouble big bro, the Yugi-gang wants to pay you a visit tonight after dinner. Please make time, okay? This is really important."

Kaiba felt annoyed, "What is this about Mokuba? You can tell me."

"A-actually I'm not sure if I can, Seto, I don't think it's my place." Mokuba stammered.

Kaiba felt himself lose his temper, _Why is everyone tip-toeing around me like I'm was some kind of bomb?!_

"Mokuba, I know this is about a stupid phone. What is the real problem here?" he snapped.

"I don't know!" Mokuba yelled, "And you had to go and do something stupid like give Yami a phone. Why would you do that?! Everyone wants to know why, including me!"

"Because, I felt like it." Kaiba said through clenched teeth, "Is that so hard to believe?!"

"Actually, yea! It IS hard to believe, Seto!" Mokuba shouted, "You never just give stuff away for free, especially to someone like Yami!"

"What do you mean _'especially to someone like Yami'_." He growled ferociously at his brother.

"Well," Mokuba hesitated, "You're always calling him Yugi, actually now that I think about it, did you get them confused?! You know you gave a phone to YAMI right? NOT Yugi?!"

Kaiba hung up the phone in a rage. _Of course I know who the fuck I gave it to_, he fumed and he shot a furious text at his driver to pick him up.

* * *

The driver pulled into large expansive driveway of the Kaiba mansion.

"Sir, we have arrived," announced the driver.

"Thank you." Kaiba said absentmindedly, texting Mokuba.

The driver sat in stunned silence, and decided he had misheard something. Seto Kaiba never said please or thank you, to anyone about anything.

"Where are you right now?" Kaiba wrote to Mokuba. He couldn't have Mokuba seeing him walk into the house looking like a complete stranger.

"In the lounge, I'm playing a video game, why?" Mokuba responded after a few minutes.

"Just checking to see if you're home," Kaiba replied and tucked his phone away in his brown leather bag. He stepped gracefully out of the car and walked into the mansion, lost in thought. Kaiba entered his room, made sure to softly close the door behind him, and he leaned against it, feeling extremely exhausted from the day's events.

_No time to think about it too much_, Kaiba thought, _time to make amends._

He dialed his secretary and she picked up after a few rings, "Mr. Kaiba!" She said, sounding alert. "How may I be of service?"

"I need at least 20 of the newest phones brought to my residence, by tonight, and please prepare a wide array of colors." Kaiba said, rubbing his temples tiredly.

"O-of course," The secretary stammered, unsure if she misheard him, did Seto Kaiba just include the word 'please' in a sentence? "Anything else, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked politely.

"Yes, one more thing if it's not too much trouble," Kaiba added, racking his brain for the name of the burger establishment he had just dined at, "Call the BurgerBee's establishment and purchase a $1,000 gift card. Please have it delivered to my residence, along with the phones. "

"Y-yes, r-right away!" The secretary sputtered. She most definitely had not misheard him. Seto Kaiba was being a polite human being on the phone. She hung up as quickly as possible, dismissing it as a rouge incident.

Kaiba threw the company phone across the floor in disgust, and stood up. He fished the apartment keys and personal phone out of his pockets carefully placed them onto his desk. Kaiba took one last look at himself in the mirror, carefully removed his brown contacts, and stepped reluctantly into the shower.

* * *

Yami laid on his back, staring at the ceiling absentmindedly, his new phone laying on his chest.

He decided to use the phone to it's fullest while still having it in his possession. He sent a text to Hiro, saying, "I'm upset." And left it at that, waiting for a response.

Kaiba was in the shower, and didn't hear his phone buzz on his desk.

Mokuba ran up the stairs, after seeing the second car had returned in the driveway. "Seto!" he called, peering into the room, "I'm hungry, Seto, what's for dinner?" He heard the water running and decided to come back later. Just has he turned to leave, Mokuba spotted a phone buzzing on Seto's desk and walked over to it curiously. It was a text from an unlabeled number, it read, "I'm upset."

A million thoughts and possibilities ran through Mokuba's head. He picked up the phone and quickly figured out Seto's password, it wasn't hard.

"Why are you upset?" Mokuba typed at the mysterious number.

"Oh, you know why." The sender responded cryptically.

"Okay," Mokuba wrote. "How can I make it right?"

The phone was silent for a long minute. While waiting for a response, Mokuba scrolled up and saw the previous messages included, "See you soon, for lunch at 2:30." as the first text.  
Intrigued, Mokuba sat down on the floor, staring at the phone, eagerly waiting for a response.

_Seto has a secret friend!_ Mokuba thought furtively. _Maybe it's a new girlfriend!  
_  
The phone buzzed as the unknown sender wrote, "Send me a photo of you right now :) That would make me feel better."

_Oh my god!_ Mokuba gasped to himself, _Seto has a girlfriend! _

He heard the water shut off and Mokuba frantically began deleting the messages he had sent, feeling a little guilty. He left the last text at, "I'm upset", and hoped that Seto wouldn't respond until much later. Mokuba set the phone quietly down on the desk and slowly tip-toed out of the room.

Kaiba stepped out of the shower and stepped into a set of athletic wear which he rarely wore, but tonight, he found himself in dull spirits, and in the mood for comfortable clothing.

He picked up his phone from his desk and was pleased to see a text from Yami, but his spirits fell when the text read, "I'm upset."

He quickly responded with, "I'm sorry, I wish I could help. I'll make it up to you tomorrow!"

Mokuba knocked on the door, "Seto?" he said timidly.

"Hey there kiddo," Kaiba said, setting the phone down on the desk and walking over to the door to embrace his younger brother. Mokuba was surprised by the hug, "Seto, I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"

Kaiba shut the lights off in his study, "There's some spaghetti in the fridge. I brought it back from a conference. It's pretty good, let's go eat some of that."

Excited, Mokuba grabbed Kaiba's hand and led him down the stairs, "Yay! And then you'll help me through this really hard section in my video game? I can't seem to beat this level without help."

"Yes, we can do that." Kaiba said warmly, scooping Mokuba up in his arms and carrying him down the remaining flight of stairs.

* * *

The phone buzzed on Yami's chest. He checked it excitedly, expecting a sexy photograph from Hiro, but instead it was text, reading "I'm sorry, I wish I could help. I'll make it up to you tomorrow!"

Frustrated and confused, Yami responded with a playful, "You better make it up to me tomorrow then!" And turned over on his side, feeling depressed. He heard Yugi enter the room and he shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"Yami." Yugi whispered softly, "Yami, it's time for us to go. Wake up."

Yami slowly opened his eyes and sat up reluctantly. "Yea, I'm ready."

"And you might want to delete everything on it before you hand it over to Kaiba," Yugi added solemnly. "It's only polite."

Yami felt the pit of dread rise from his stomach and into his chest, "I-I don't want to do that."

"Then I'll do it." Yugi said, holding his hand out.

"No," Yami shook his head, "I'll do it. Thank you Aibou."

Yugi sighed and pulled Yami into a tight hug. "This sucks, I know. C'mon, everyone is waiting downstairs."

Yami followed Yugi down the stairs silently and exited the game shop where the gang was waiting, sitting by their cars and motorcycles, looking grave.

"Well, let's do this." Tristan yawned. "Honestly, not the best night ever, but not the worst night ever." Yami wordlessly got into the passenger seat of Anzu's vehicle and they sped off into the night, towards the towering buildings in the city.

* * *

"Seto, behind you!" Mokuba exclaimed, wildly pressing the game control buttons, "Look out!"

"I got it," Kaiba said excitedly, keenly fighting his way around a creature on the screen.

The doorbell rang and echoed throughout the monstrous house. "Oh!" Mokuba cried, "It's.."

"I know." Kaiba sighed and stood up resolutely as Mokuba paused the game. "Let's welcome them in."

Mokuba looked up at Seto with a confused look, _Nii-san sure is using some strange words today_, he thought.

Kaiba waved the butler away from the doorway. Mokuba was further intrigued by this behavior. "Why are we opening the door ourselves?" he whispered up at Seto anxiously.

"Don't worry about this Mokuba. I'll take care of this, come here." Kaiba scooped his younger brother up in his arms and quietly turned the doorknob gently and pulled the door open. Before him stood the Yugi-gang, strangely well-dressed, and all wearing frowns. He felt Mokuba's arms tighten around his neck.

Kaiba did his best to appear confused, "What are you all doing here this time of night?"

Unsurprisingly, Yugi spoke up first, "May we come in, Kaiba? There's a serious matter we need to discuss."

Kaiba felt himself slip back into his old personality, and he snorted haughtily, "Does it need to be with _all_ of you?" His eyes landed on Joey who was glaring at him like a bloodhound, and at Tristan who was cracking his knuckles threateningly, and at Yami, who seem to be looking past him like he didn't exist. Anzu was glowering at him with a deep hatred, and suddenly Kaiba felt very afraid. The warm, friendly encounters from that afternoon disappeared in a flash. He set Mokuba back down on his feet and said firmly, "Go to your room kiddo."

"But..!" Mokuba protested, but then stopped when he realized there was an uneasy silence between the Yugi-gang and Seto. He trudged upstairs to his room and closed the door loudly.

"Now, may we come in?" Yugi asked again, unsmiling and stern.

Kaiba sighed and relented. "Come in. We'll talk upstairs in the privacy of my study."

"Ooo we're going up to his fancy _'study_'" Joey said mockingly. Kaiba felt himself clench his fists on impulse, but the flare of anger he usually experienced, following one of Wheeler's snide comments, seemed to be delayed.

"Shut. Up. Joey." Anzu muttered.

"No." Joey said, his voice echoing loudly throughout the enormous house. "I'm not gonna shuddup."

The group followed Kaiba up the grand staircase and they waited for him to whirl around in his usual Kaiba fashion and start a row with Joey, but all was quiet. Kaiba continued ascending the stairs calmly as if he'd heard nothing. Put-off by the strange behavior, the group continued following Kaiba up the grand staircase.

He pulled open the wide double oak doors to his study and propped them open. "Enter." He stated. Unnerved, the gang filed into the study and Kaiba tried to make eye contact with Yami as he walked by, but Yami was looking past everything, almost as if he wasn't there.

Trying to quell his uneasiness at what he was about to do, Kaiba shut the doors quietly behind him with a flourish and strode confidently to the front of the room, facing the group.

"I would like to speak first, if you don't mind, Kaiba." Yugi said softly.

Kaiba fought with himself internally before complying, "Go ahead." He said stiffly.

"We were amazed and...well, suspicious when Yami started using a new phone, which he got, from you." Yugi said pointedly. "And we're here to return it. No strings attached."

Kaiba crossed his arms firmly across his chest, "What do you mean by that?" he asked coldly.

"It means he doesn't want it." Duke said loudly, speaking for the first time, startling Kaiba.

"Well," Kaiba said, clenching and un-clenching his fists, "I'd like to hear that from him personally."

"Here it from who?" Yugi challenged him, "Why don't you say his name?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba saw Joey elbow Yami. Yami remained motionless, and Kaiba noticed Yami's eyes watering at the corners. _Oh no, _Kaiba realized as he recognized this all too familiar look,_ he's about to cry._

Kaiba took a deep breath and put on his detached businessman act, "Look, Look, guys. I know, his name is Yami. Honestly, you all take me so seriously sometimes, it makes me laugh!" Kaiba threw his arms out flamboyantly and laughed loudly, attempting to throw them off guard. Well it seem like it was working, they were all looking at him like he had gone insane.

"Are we not supposed to take you seriously?" Anzu said, looking strangely at him.

Kaiba forced himself to continue laughing loudly, like it was joke only he could understand.

"Stop laughing and just tell us what you want to say, you jerk!" Mai said angrily.

Kaiba instantly sobered up, and the sudden change in character unnerved the Yugi-gang even further.

"Okay, you got me." Kaiba said, and he walked over to one of his large cabinets and pulled out a large, heavy box. He set it down carefully on his desk and lifted the lid with a grand gesture. The Yugi-gang was still staring at him like he was a lunatic.

Kaiba slowly unpacked the box, taking out stacks of new mobile phones, still in their white ribbon-topped boxes, each marked with a unique colored sticker. He arranged them together magnificently into a neat pyramid on his desk and threw the empty box aside. To his immense satisfaction, he saw Yami's eyes widen considerably. Having seen these before, he knew what was in the boxes.

"What is this." Tristan snapped, "Why aren't you _talking_, man. Dude, say something."

"Yami knows what it is." Kaiba said softly in amusement. Yami was shocked to hear his name come from Kaiba's mouth.

The group turned towards Yami, surprised. "If this is a game, it isn't funny." Yugi insisted.

"They're phones." Yami whispered, barely audible, the group became instantly silent.

"Hon, speak up, I didn't hear you," Mai said, frowning.

Yami looked at Kaiba pointedly, "What is the meaning of this Kaiba?"

Kaiba grinned widely, "This is, exactly, what it looks like. Help yourselves." He said, feeling a strange, surreal parallel between this experience, and to his experience as Hiro, offering plates of cupcakes.

The group stood there silently and blinked at him. Kaiba stared back at them, wondering if he hadn't made himself clear.

"I said.." Kaiba started.

"We heard you," Joey interrupted. "We just tryna figure out what the catch is."

Kaiba felt despair slowly creeping up on him, perhaps it was too late to mend relations with the Yugi-gang. "There is, no catch. These are all my gifts, to you." he said slowly. "Please. You'd be doing me a huge favor, taking these off my hands."

"Oh so its about doing YOU a favor now?" Tristan said loudly.

"Gifts?" Serenity echoed incredulously.

Kaiba turned his back on the group, unable to face them as his emotions began to amplify. "Please." he repeated, staring out at the city lights until they started to burn afterimages in his vision. In that moment, Kaiba was secretly wishing he could just unobtrusively transform into Hiro, beginning to realize how difficult it was to interact with group as himself, as Seto Kaiba.

"Guys," Anzu whispered, "I think he's being serious."

"What do you mean?" Yugi whispered back, "He just said _not_ to take him so seriously."

"Think about it for a second," Anzu breathed, "He said, '_please_'"

"Oh my god you're right!" Serenity said, at a normal volume.

"Shhh!" Joey hissed, "Great, now maybe we can just grab'em and run."

Kaiba whirled around, startling the group. "If you want to grab them and run, you may end up with a color you despise, Wheeler, be my guest."

Joey opened and closed his mouth stupidly. "Wut. They come in COLORS?!"

Yami's interest was also piqued, this option was not presented to him earlier, why the sudden change?

"Yes. What color do you want?" Kaiba asked, fully knowing the answer.

"Green?" Joey said tentatively. Kaiba expertly lifted out an elegant, ribbon-topped box with a green sticker from the large stack on his desk and placed it on the corner of his desk, closest to Joey.

He was shaking his head in disbelief. "Bro, are you seeing this right now?" He said, addressing Tristan.

"Yeup." Tristan said, not taking his eyes off Kaiba. "I am watching him. Quick, grab it, it might be a trap."

Joey crashed forwards onto the desk, clumsily grabbed the box, then retreated back to safety.

"Oh my god!" Mai exclaimed, "Can you not?!"

Everyone crowded around Joey and the sleek, white ribbon topped box. "Open it!" Serenity urged. "It might be empty." she said, throwing a Kaiba a dirty look. Unfazed, Kaiba stood his ground, feeling relieved as the group's hostile mood seemed to be melting.

The group ooo-ed and aah-ed at the sleek phone, which was an exact replica of the one Yami had, but was tinted with a dark, forest green.

"Holy shit, holy shit." Joey chanted, holding the phone before him like a precious object. Yami stood, frozen in place, shocked. Did this mean he could keep his phone? The group was now chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

Yami's gaze drifted over towards Kaiba, who was staring right at him. Surprised, his mouth dropped open, and Kaiba quickly winked playfully at him. Yami's heart skipped a beat. Was he seeing things?!

Kaiba tore his eyes away from Yami and noticed Mai Valentine looking longingly at the stack of boxes on his desk. He gestured towards her and motioned for her to grab one. She stared at him, wide-eyed, almost looking terrified.

Sighing, Kaiba stepped out from behind his desk and handed her the topmost box, which happened to be white.

She grasped it between her beautifully manicured hands and looked at him, "Seto Kaiba, you are an enigma. I can't figure you out." Kaiba smiled gently at her, "All the better."

Yami watched this exchange apprehensively. Kaiba sure was turning on the charm tonight, something about him seemed...different.

It was getting rowdy in Kaiba's study as Joey, Tristan and Duke were now loudly taking ugly selfies with the phone, while Anzu screamed at them to delete the ugly one they took of her.

Serenity grabbed Mai by the arm excitedly, "What! That's so pretty!"

"Girl get your own," Mai scoffed. "There's a whole pile."

Serenity timidly approached the desk while chaos ensued behind her. She smiled angelically at Kaiba, "May I have one as well?"

"Here you go." Kaiba grabbed a brown stickered ribbon-topped box and placed it in her hands. She looked at it curiously, "How did you know?"

"What?" Kaiba said absentmindedly, watching Yugi whispering with Yami at the back of the group.

"That my favorite color is brown." Serenity said suspiciously.

"Oh, pf." Kaiba scoffed, trying to play it off casually, "I just grabbed a random one from the stack."

"No," Serenity continued, "This is the ONLY brown one. Who told you?" She demanded. "Are you having us followed?"

Kaiba began to panic slightly, "Please," he hissed, "Keep your voice down."

"So you _are_ having us followed?" Serenity repeated shrilly.

"No!" Kaiba said in a strained whisper, "All I had to do was ask Anzu."

"What?" she looked surprised suddenly, "So, you _planned_ this?!"

"Yes...!... No!" Kaiba said, frustrated, he looked over and realized Yugi and Yami had stopped their whispering.

Serenity followed his gaze and looked at him knowingly. "I think we need to talk, just you and me, Seto Kaiba."

"No, I disagree." Kaiba growled.

"You will agree," Serenity insisted coldly, "Or I'll tell everyone you're having us followed. Which I know is completely false, but it's my word against yours."

_I'm being blackmailed by Wheeler's baby sister,_ Kaiba raged, _nothing good comes of generosity._

Anzu approached the desk breathlessly, "Give, me one." She panted, "I need, revenge."

Kaiba grabbed two boxes and allowed her to choose, knowing full well she would pick the pink one.

"Thaaank youu Kaiba!" Anzu drawled, and she headed back towards the Yugi-gang with her new addition.

Serenity stood there, still looking suspicious. "Why did you hand her two boxes, if you knew her favorite color?"

"Don't overthink it," Kaiba said, clenching his teeth. "I like giving people a choice."

"Since whennnnnn?" Serenity said, raising her eyebrows.

Kaiba decided that the best course of action would be to ignore all further engagements with Wheeler's little sister. She walked away after she saw Yugi approaching the desk.

"Kaiba." Yugi said firmly. "May I have your word that, if I take one of these phones from your desk, I won't owe you anything?"

Kaiba nodded and looked directly into Yugi's eyes, they were much softer, and larger, than Yami's. His little round face pulled into an expression of worry, made it hard for Kaiba to take him seriously.

"And," Yugi continued, "I won't be _charged_ for this phone, at a later date?"

The group fell silent as they heard Yugi speaking.

Kaiba scoffed. "As if I need to charge you for anything. I have enough money already."

"Good." Mai said foxily, "Then I can just bill you when my monthly charge comes in."

"Sure." Kaiba said casually, examining his nails, realizing they were becoming chipped from all his manual labor at the bakery.

There was a long silence. Kaiba looked up and was met with shocked faces. "What." he said flatly.

"Are you...joking?" Duke said warily.

Kaiba smiled devilishly, "Send me your bill and you'll see just how much I like to joke."

"Whoa. Whoa." Yugi reeled, "What is going on. Are you OKAY? Like, in your head, did you hit your head?"

"No," Kaiba said, willing himself to remain calm in the face of insults, "I may be a bit sleep deprived, but I am 100% aware of what I am doing."

"There's gotta be a catch," Joey said, aghast. "Who are you, and what have you done with the Seto Kaiba we know and hate?"

"He's still here." Kaiba said with steely eyed look, "You don't know him, and you can keep hating him if that helps you sleep better at night."

"Okay we're going to..leave now." Yugi said, backing away from the desk, "I think something may have happened, and you might regret this tomorrow, or next week, so we're gonna go, before you change your mind."

Kaiba leaned against the desk, too tired to argue, "Whatever." he said shortly. "See yourselves out." he said coldly.

The gang shuffled quietly out through the doors; Kaiba exited his study and out onto the adjacent balcony.

Mokuba peeked out of his room and realized the gang was leaving. He rushed out of his room and ran towards them, "Guys! Wait! Tell me what happened!" He cried.

The group exchanged significant looks. Yugi bent down and patted Mokuba on the shoulder, "Your brother is acting kinda weird, he's giving away stuff for free and asking nothing in return. You might want to keep an eye on him in the coming weeks."

"I know!" Mokuba exclaimed, "He's changed a lot in literally 3 days! He even played a video game with me today!"

Yami shook his head confused, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I think," Mokuba whispered excitedly, "He's got a girlfriend and that's what's making him happy."

Yami felt his stomach drop through the floor, as Yugi gave him a meaningful look.

"What?!" Mai exclaimed, "Who knew?! Also, how do you know this mystery female is the source of his generosity?"

"I saw some texts on his phone from her, " Mokuba said slyly, "Just don't tell him I saw."

"Gross," Joey commented.

"You wish you had a girlfriend," Mai said spitefully.

"And he's been going out a lot!" Mokuba continued.

"Going out where?" Yami asked, feeling numb.

"I dunno," Mokuba shrugged, "Out, like on dates I guess, he wore some different clothes too. I saw them in his room today."

"Does this happen often?" Yami pressed, his mouth going dry.

"Why is this so important to you?" Yugi asked suddenly, "You've been asking this a lot since..."

Yami blinked and looked at the floor, "I'm just curious, that's all."

"Let's leave!" Serenity hissed, "Its like 12AM right now, I have class tomorrow!"

"Right, right," Anzu agreed. They said goodbye to Mokuba and headed out the door.

Kaiba watched them sullenly from the balcony. Their voices fading as they climbed into their vehicles and sped away from his property, Kaiba looked up at the dark night sky, wishing to be anyone other than himself in that moment.

* * *

Kaiba laid awake in bed, waiting for his alarm to ring. He rolled over and checked his phone. There was one message, a missed call, from the bakery manager, Jason. Kaiba sat up abruptly, and read the text,

"Hiro,  
Don't come in,  
there's nothing left to unpack now. Store is clean and set-up done.  
All that's left is paperwork.  
Come back next week, ready to bake.  
\- J"

He deleted it and laid back onto his bed, contemplating sleeping in. He sat up again, realizing his casual wardrobe was wearing thin. Kaiba opened the text message thread he had with Yami on his personal phone. After contemplating for a long while, he wrote, "Come shopping with me today?" and left it at that. He rolled around then decided to get up once and for all.

He stepped into the bathroom and ruffled his light brown hair in the mirror. He grabbed the hair dye from the shelf and plopped it onto his hands, massaging it in thoroughly. He rinsed quickly and put in a fresh set of light brown contact lenses. Kaiba made sure to tuck a tiny bottle of eye drops in his pocket, remembering the painful disaster from the other day.

His phone hummed, Kaiba checked it, his excitement mounting, "It's a date! And I don't have class on these days, you can remember that." Yami replied sassily.

Kaiba found himself grinning stupidly at his phone and he replied with, "I'll pick you up in 30 minutes?"

Yami stared at his phone. Hiro sure was sounding very bold this morning. "Do you remember where I live?" Yami texted back playfully.

Kaiba mentally slapped himself and wrote, "I actually don't remember where you live. Tell me your address please."

Yami smiled, and typed, "If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

Kaiba felt feverish with excitement at the playful attitude he was receiving from Yami, "How about I just show you?"

"Deal," Yami wrote back enthusiastically, and quickly sent him the address to the Kame Game Shop. He leapt out of bed and got dressed.

"Mmggmh." Yugi grumbled, "What time is it? Why are you up so early? You don't have class today.."

"I'm hanging out with Hiro today! See you later okay?" Yami said animatedly, and he ran down the stairs briskly and stood by the entrance of the shop, waiting.

Meanwhile, Kaiba walked anxiously through his garage, desperately trying to find a suitable car to drive. He opted with the cheapest sport car he owned, and decided to just roll with the consequences of questions if they ever arose.

He sped off his property towards the Kame Game Shop, feeling strangely elated.

Yami leaned against the doorway of the game shop, not sure what to look for. He saw a tall figure walking towards him from across the street in the morning fog.

Yami rushed towards the tall silhouette, and to his delight, Hiro's gentle, smiling face greeted him warmly. Yami reached his hand out towards Hiro to wave, but instead, Hiro grabbed his arm and he was pulled into a strong and warm embrace.

Yami closed his eyes contentedly, inhaling the strange, sweet, musky scent that was uniquely his. "How's your morning going?" Hiro asked, smiling a little.

"Great, now that you're here," Yami laughed. Kaiba felt his spirits soar. This was what he wanted. This was how he wanted to be treated by Yami.

"I parked around the corner so as not to disturb the neighbors. Come on." he gestured around the block.

Yami tilted his head curiously, "Why the distance?"

"Because I needed a little morning walk!" Hiro replied enthusiastically, laughing. Yami was dazzled by the overwhelming cheerfulness he was displaying and he gladly fell into step with Hiro.

Kaiba pressed the keys as they turned the corner, Yami saw a pair of headlights glow softly, from a slender, white american sports car with a solid black stripe running through the middle.

"Wow." Yami said, genuinely impressed, "I like this car!"

"I do too," Hiro responded happily, "It was a gift,"

"Really!" Yami commented, further confirming his suspicions that Hiro came from a rich family who enjoyed spoiling him.

_A gift to myself,_ Kaiba thought privately, as Yami climbed carefully into the passenger seat.

"Want to know what makes this car really special?" Kaiba asked devilishly.

Yami shook his head, nonplussed, "What?"

"This," Kaiba said, leaning over and pressing his lips lightly against Yami's, catching him off-guard. Yami's eyes shot open wide, as he stared at Hiro's pale face, enticingly close to his. Yami softly touched Hiro's cheek, feeling apprehensive. Kaiba closed his eyes, giving into the lovely feeling of Yami's hands on his face.

Yami pushed his forehead agaisnt Hiro's and threaded his hands through his lustrous black hair, tugging and pulling at it seductively as Hiro lightly spread kisses around his neck and ears.

Hungry for more, Kaiba pressed himself across the divide of the car, straining to feel more of Yami's warmth. Yami noticed this and smiled mischievously, "Can we start with your place?" he said.

Kaiba was confused, his head was buzzing with pleasure, making it difficult for him to think clearly, "My place?"

"I want a tour of your place, Hiro." Yami enunciated. Kaiba nodded silently and was secretly glad that he had furnished the apartment properly a few days ago.

They sped down the highway and Yami felt a strange familiar feeling settle over him as he watched Hiro expertly maneuver the car. The similarities Hiro shared with Seto Kaiba were uncanny; the slender fingers that gripped the clutch, the love for flashy sports cars, they were similar in height and share affinity for baking.

_But there are key differences that makes them separate people_, Yami thought ferociously. _Kaiba enjoys showing off, and just being a condescending asshole in general, but Hiro on the other hand_...Yami gazed up at Hiro, and Hiro looked back at him, smiling gently, shaking the dark hair out from around his eyes.

_Hiro smiles a lot more,_ Yami noted, _and he parked around the corner as opposed to just driving by loudly, waking the neighbors with the roaring engine. There's the difference, _Yami concluded._ Hiro is a thoughtful, humble, hardworking student, whereas Seto Kaiba was a thoughtless, callous, braggart, with whom my friends could barely tolerate._

Yami leaned back into his seat, still feeling a sense of unease. The level of attraction he felt towards Hiro was an un-explainable, raw hunger. It was scary. He wasn't sure if visiting Hiro's apartment was an entirely innocent request.

They pulled past the university, garnering appreciative and jealous looks from students crossing the streets. Yami chose to comment on this to gauge Hiro's reaction. "Your car is getting a lot of attention, " he said casually.

"Is it?" Kaiba said, throwing another dazzling smile towards Yami, "I didn't really notice, I've been trying to sneak glances at you while we've been driving."

Yami felt himself grow hot all over. "Please, you don't mean that."

Kaiba smirked privately, enjoying Yami's reaction thoroughly. _I love how responsive he is when his guard is down_, Kaiba mused.

They parked behind the student apartments and Kaiba led Yami around to the front of the building. "We're here!" Kaiba said enthusiastically.

Yami glanced up, the building seemed pretty standard, and well maintained. Pretty luxurious for a student actually. "Lead the way," Yami said keenly.

Kaiba walked deliberately down the hallway, towards his room. Having Yami follow him without suspecting him of anything was a strangely exhilarating freeing. He unlocked the door to is apartment and held it open for Yami. "Please enter." he said, looking at Yami intently.

"Don't mind if I do," Yami responded excitedly.

He stepped inside and was met with a beautiful light, shining in from large windows panning across the entire unit. A large TV, desk and wardrobe were aligned purposefully together underneath the windows. A large bed sat agaisnt the adjacent wall, neatly made, with sheets splashed in bold, geometric, monochrome with print. A row of metal bar stools were propped up agaisnt a long kitchen island, gleaming in the morning light.

"It's beautiful!" Yami exclaimed. It seemed so simple, but there was luxury intoned subtly on the bedding, the chairs, and the desk

Kaiba felt himself beam with pride, not bad for a 3 hour decor job.

"It's really just the lighting doing all the work," he responded humbly.

"I really like it!" Yami said, throwing himself down with a _-pof-_ onto the bedding.

"I'm glad you do!" Kaiba said, feeling strangely ecstatic as he saw Yami laying defenselessly on his bed.

Yami kicked off his shoes and pulled his legs up onto the large bed, "There's not much here, but it looks very comfortable!"

Kaiba stood at the edge of the bed numbly, not quite believing what he was seeing. There was a a Yami, sitting on his bed, talking with him in a courteous manner, was any of this real?

"Hiro, what's wrong?" Yami said concernedly, looking up at him through his spiky blond bangs.

_Does this mean it's okay?_ Kaiba choked on his own thoughts, trying to suppress the monster of lust that was roaring through his body, _Can I really..._

Yami crawled over to the edge of the bed to where he was standing rigidly, "Hiro?"

Kaiba reached out and pulled Yami's face close to his, his thumbs sweeping lovingly beneath Yami's soft cheeks, "Can I kiss you, and just never stop?" he murmured, grazing his lips agaisnt Yami's slender nose.

Yami felt himself shiver slightly, and said nothing, gazing deeply into Hiro's soft brown eyes.

Yami swallowed dryly, "Why?"

Kaiba frowned, "Why else? I feel like it. I like you. I want to, you want to, don't you?" he implored.

"No," Yami gasped, "I mean, ..I feel like..something is different about you."

Kaiba was getting impatient, "Of course there is something different about me, we just met, a few days ago. " Kaiba's self control was slipping by the second. He wanted to touch Yami everywhere, he wanted to feel the warmth of his skin on his mouth.

_He could just be pushed down, right now...I'm stronger, and bigger..._Kaiba was seriously losing it.

Yami trailed his hand down the front of Hiro's shirt and reached up to brush the black hair out of his eyes, "I'll do this with you, but we stop, when I say we stop." He looked up into Hiro's deep brown eyes, "Agree?"

Kaiba nodded mutely, unable to hold himself back any longer. He leaned his weight down onto Yami's thin frame and pressed his lips passionately agaisnt his, breathing in his scent. He felt Yami wildly tug at his hair, and that alone made him so hard. Kaiba ground his hips violently agaisnt Yami and Yami felt himself shake with pleasure.

Kaiba then shoved his tongue into Yami's waiting, open mouth, and felt Yami's tongue entangle with his erotically. Yami felt his hands travel down Hiro's muscular torso and land gently on his belt, where a large bulge was pressed up firmly against the fabric. He grabbed at it playfully and Kaiba groaned, shaking with pleasure.

Kaiba slid his palms adoringly down Yami's slender abdomen and became even more aroused when Yami peeled his shirt off and laid back wantonly. Kaiba was alight with desire and he leaned down to deliver a flurry of butterfly kisses all over Yami's chest and abs. Yami sighed and closed his eyes sensually, losing himself in the feeling. Kaiba flicked his tongue in and out of Yami's bellybutton suggestively, and Yami sat up suddenly, looking at Kaiba with lust in his eyes.

Kaiba slowly undid one of Yami's belts without breaking eye contact. Yami's breaths increased with each clink of the belt, and Kaiba felt drunk with excitement at what he was about to do next. He undid the second belt and seductively reached his hand into Yami's pants, wrapping his hands firmly around Yami's hot member. Yami gasped light, short breaths, shuddering uncontrollably at the foreign, delicious feeling.

Kaiba couldn't help but smirk and whisper, "I'm only touching you through the cloth, now imagine this is skin..."

Yami blinked beseechingly him, begging him silently to continue. Kaiba carefully slid Yami's penis out of his underwear and gazed at it triumphantly.

Yami was shivering uncontrollably, "Wh-what?" He stammered, feeling suddenly very self conscious.

"Oh...nothing." Kaiba said, trying to hide his glee, "Lift your hips up for me a little?"

"H-how?" Yami asked nervously.

"Like this," Kaiba said, smirking confidently, gently leaning Yami back and lifting his thighs up agaisnt his own shoulders. He bent his head down and came nose-to-head with Yami's shaft, and said seriously, "Grab my head and push me around however you like it."

"Wh-what?!" Yami exclaimed, but before he could even think further, Kaiba brought his head forcefully down between his legs and enveloped his entire dick into his hot, wet mouth. Yami's eyes shot wide open as his vision turned white, and then green, his ears ringing.

Kaiba began to slowly bob his head up and down, his tongue powerfully swirling around the head of his penis, sending giant shock waves of pleasure, causing intense mini-orgasms to rock Yami's body violently. Yami dug his fingers deep into Kaiba's dark hair as he writhed with pleasure. Kaiba smiled and hummed lightly, enjoying the immense power he was currently given over Yami's tantalizing body. The hums sent enthralling heated waves of ecstasy shooting through his arms and legs; Yami felt extremely hot and cold all over as his entire body tensed up, preparing for another large orgasm. In frantic desperation, Yami buried his fingers into Hiro's long black hair and pressed his head down harder onto his erection.

Kaiba felt Yami's fingers in his hair, pulling him, encouraging him to open his mouth and to slide the head of Yami's shaft tightly into the back of his throat. Yami felt his body convulse brutally and clench powerfully as he felt himself melt and explode from the inside out. Wave after violent wave of pleasure followed his explosive orgasm, and Kaiba jerked his head back acutely, as his mouth was flooded with Yami's hot semen.

Yami fell back onto the bed, a sweaty half-naked mess, feeling lost, electrified, and just slightly confused.

Kaiba looked up at Yami satisfyingly, cum dripping splendidly from the corners of his mouth and down his neck, "So, did you like that?"

Yami struggled to sit up, still weak with pleasure, "I-I think I died and came back to life," Yami joked faintly. "I'm sorry I made such a mess..." he glanced around at the mussed up bedding and then at Hiro's bulging erection, still sitting in his pants.

"Let me..?" Yami asked tentatively. Kaiba leaned forward into Yami's reach, "It's really alright if you can't.."

"No," Yami said firmly, "I want to return the favor."

Kaiba shook slightly with anticipation. He watched as Yami slowly undid his front hesitantly and came nose-to-head with his rather, large and thick shaft. Slightly shaken at the size, Yami took one hand and firmly grasped the shaft and with the other hand, he placed lightly on Kaiba's balls.

Aghast, Kaiba swayed intensely at the feeling, it was nothing like he had imagined. Yami looked up at Hiro for a reaction and was astounded to see him completely wanton and lustful, staring at him through half-open, glazed eyes, waiting for his next move. Yami leaned forward and cautiously kissed Hiro's shaft, and licked it from base to tip, without breaking eye contact.

Kaiba trembled with need as he started leaking a bit at the tip. Yami gladly licked it up entrancingly, before rolling his tongue rhythmically over the head of his penis. Kaiba groaned and threw his head back, panting, struggling to keep himself contained. Yami tightly gripped Hiro's shaft and forcefully brought his head down, deep into his throat, all the way upon his length, and Yami slowly slid his mouth upwards, tortuously. Yami lifted his head and looked up at Hiro, his lips wet with saliva, "Am I doing it right?" Yami asked tentatively.

"Yes, don't stop." Kaiba begged, abandoning all pretense.

"Push my head, and do it to me how you like it," Yami said, titling his head curiously. "Don't worry, I can take it."

Kaiba wasted no time and passionately grasped a handful of the tri-colored hair and savagely thrust into Yami's open mouth. Yami grunted with surprise and pleasure when he felt the tip of Hiro's shaft hit the roof of his mouth erotically. Kaiba trembled with self-indulgence and he continued pounding fiercely into Yami's hot, dense mouth.

He trembled with vicious satisfaction, as he deliberately pushed Yami's head down onto his dick, over and over again, with reckless abandon. Kaiba felt his muscles taut with lust, as pleasure surged up from his core. Burning the image of Yami obediently taking his cock deep into his mouth, Kaiba let himself pleasurably spasm into an impassioned climax, and he came hard inside Yami's mouth. It caught Yami off guard and he jerked his head back forcefully, coughing violently.

"I'm so sorry!" Kaiba cried, distressed. "Was I too rough?!"

Yami was still coughing and it took a while for him to steady himself, but when he did, he smiled weakly back at Hiro and laughed a little, "I was surprised at how rough you were, but I actually really enjoyed that," Yami said, elegantly wiping cum away from his bottom lip. Entranced by the erotic movement, Kaiba leaned himself closer towards Yami and kissed his lips firmly, tasting himself on Yami's mouth.

Yami pulled back in surprise, "That's dirty! Don't do that!"

Kaiba laughed earnestly and gently brushed Yami's bangs out of his face, "Let's clean up, I'll help you, you stay here." He got up and grabbed a wet towel and dry paper napkins from the kitchen and handed them to Yami. "Unless you'd prefer a shower" Kaiba said suggestively.

"Actually," Yami said, "If you don't mind, I would like to use your shower." And with that, he marched right in, leaving Kaiba standing there, half-naked, holding a wad of towels.

Yami turned the hot water on and stood underneath it, feeling warm and composed. _It was strange, sex with a stranger isn't supposed to feel this familiar, is it?_ Yami mused uncertainly. He quickly got clean, and dressed himself readily, chalking it up to physical compatibility.

Yami stepped out and saw Hiro standing by the window looking pensive, perhaps he was wondering the same thing.

"Oh good you're done, it's my turn," Hiro smiled lightly and walked past Yami, into the bathroom, shutting the door gently. Kaiba turned the water on and stepped underneath it, careful not to let the water touch his dyed hair.

_I'm so fucked,_ Kaiba thought dismally, _This is so fucked up. What am I doing? What do I hope to accomplish by fucking around with Yami?_

Kaiba sighed as he watched the water run down his body. _How can I tell him who I am now? He will hate me, because Hiro is a constant lie. Anything good we have will disappear, just like everything else I touch._

He stepped out of the shower and examined his appearance; no dye was running and his contacts were still in place. He wiped his face on a towel guiltily, wondering if he should ever tell Yami about himself. _Hiro could just disappear...but how?_ Kaiba wondered. He was beginning to think Yami was right, that there was never a correct circumstance under which they would be able to confess their feelings towards each together safely, out of the eye of the public.

He stepped out of the a bathroom quickly and saw that Yami was nowhere to be found.  
"Yami?" he called out nervously.

"Over here!" Yami responded, his head buried in the refrigerator.

Kaiba rushed over to the kitchen and pulled Yami away from the fridge, "What are you doing? there's nothing in there!"

"Why is your fridge completely empty?!" Yami asked incredulously, "What do you eat?"

"I eat out," Kaiba said, lying steadily, "And I throw everything out of my fridge every week. Its how I keep things clean."

Yami nodded knowingly, "Aren't you a neat freak."

Kaiba sniffed proudly, "I am, thank you for the compliment."

Yami laughed happily and leaned agaisnt Hiro's tall frame, "Well I am starving, so let's grab some breakfast?"

Kaiba smiled down at Yami who was hanging onto his arm endearingly, "I know a good place." And led him out through the building towards his vehicle.

* * *

**Uglifish's Note**

I had a whole trove of content, just waiting to be posted! Your reviews and love are always appreciated! And if you're curious about the recipe Kaiba used, here is the link!  
black-tea-cupcakes

Lel,  
UF


	8. Chapter 8

Kaiba started the engine and watched eagerly as Yami climbed into the passenger seat. Yami threw him an affectionate look and Kaiba felt his body tingle pleasantly.

They rode together in amicable silence, enjoying each other's company. Kaiba gripped the clutch excitedly as they sped towards the shopping mall.

_This is actually a date_, Kaiba thought disconcertingly,_ I wish I knew exactly what he wanted from me. I know how to behave on a date, technically, but we're two men, does it work the same way?_

He pulled into the private lot adjacent to the shopping mall and gracefully stepped out of the vehicle. Yami followed suit, feeling stimulated at the prospect of spending a full, uninterrupted day with Hiro.

"There's a nice place here I've been meaning to show you", Kaiba said, pulling a cliche, date-esque line out of his ass.

Yami nodded enthusiastically, "I've only been here once, so it's all still new to me."

Kaiba nodded, shaking his hair out of his eyes. He had read online about a romantic, contemporary bistro which had recently opened nearby, he wasn't quite sure where exactly it was located, and that thought concerned him.

_I hope I can find this place without thoroughly embarrassing myself_, Kaiba thought darkly.

They stepped onto the outdoor shopping strip, passing by various brightly-lit shops, walking side by side in silence. The street was carefully lined with large, freshly watered pots of flowers, the sun shone warmly down on them and the drops of water twinkled cheerfully.

Kaiba felt uneasy, afraid that he wasn't being very good company. He stole a glance at Yami and felt his heart leap at his enthralled expression as they continued down the charming little street.

Yami was enjoying himself immensely, soaking in their surroundings, enthralled. Everything seemed to be sparking in the sun. Yami looked down at quaint, brick-lined pavement, as he walked alongside Hiro, their difference in height was apparent as their shadows bobbed rhythmically with their steps.

Yami paused, feeling a strange tingling travel up from his fingertips as he observed their shadows. Hiro's shadow looked strikingly familiar...

Kaiba felt Yami stop in his step. "Hey..." Kaiba said uncertainly.

Yami looked up at Hiro, his eyes slowly traveled around his face, carefully taking in the messy, black hair slightly covering a pair of light brown eyes, feeling a strange sensation settle in his stomach.

"What?" Kaiba asked, trying to keep the haughtiness out of his tone.

"Nothing," Yami commented slowly, tearing his eyes away, "You just remind me of someone."

"Yes, you've said that several times now." Kaiba said, feeling frustration burn inside him. "Mind telling me who?"

Yami took a few steps forward, and shook his head playfully, "Don't worry about it!" and he continued up the street, gesturing for Hiro to follow him.

Kaiba clenched his fists involuntarily and fell back into step with Yami, his mind racing.

They walked by a large grey awning, elegantly suspended over an open dining area, bordered with a large, white marble entrance, lined with and gold-rimmed leaves.

"Yami," Kaiba called out, feeling relieved, "This is the place."

Yami paused in his step and looked over his shoulder, "Here? Oh, wow!"

They stepped into the bistro, and a young, attractive blonde maitre d' with striking blue eyes ushered them inside quickly.

"Inside seating or outside, sirs?" He asked, looking at them sincerely.

Kaiba saw the Yami blink hesitantly and he spoke for them, "Outside," He looked down at Yami for confirmation, noticing a small smile curving at the corners of his lips. "..please." He added, glancing quickly back at the maitre d'.

The maitre d' nodded and led them outside, pausing to open a wide umbrella above a small, round, glass table for two. He carefully placed the menus on the table, "Your waiter will be with you shortly, please have a seat." And he left, leaving Kaiba and Yami standing awkwardly at the side of the table, each waiting for the other to sit.

Kaiba tried his best not to glare at Yami, who was staring wistfully after the maitre d' with a strange expression on his face.

"After you." Kaiba said stiffly, carefully watching Yami's expressions.

Yami didn't hear him, he was still staring at the doorway through which the attractive maitre d' had disappeared.

"Yami?" Kaiba said loudly, gripping the back of his chair tightly.

Yami blinked and turned to face him, "Sorry?"

"Sit." Kaiba said, feeling his jaw tense.

"Oh, right." Yami mumbled, pulling his chair out quickly and sat down, blushing slightly.

Kaiba quietly lowered himself into the seat across from him and eyed Yami headily, "What's on your mind?" he asked, absently thumbing through the menu, not really seeing or reading the pages.

Yami propped his head up on his elbow and stared out across the screen of bushes and flowers which separated their dining area from the street, "I'm fine." he said shortly, and he picked up his menu, studying it carefully.

Kaiba quickly chose a dish, made a mental note of it, and shut his menu delicately, "If you don't like it here, we can go somewhere else." he said, feeling a slight twinge of annoyance as he caught the maitre d' in the corner of his eye, opening more umbrellas, busy seating more people.

"I like it here just fine." Yami responded shortly, raising his head, his eyes following the blonde maitre d'.

Kaiba noticed this and couldn't take it anymore. "What are you looking at?" he snapped, forgetting himself for a moment.

Yami narrowed his eyes and looked over Hiro's shoulder, "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Kaiba curls his fingers tightly, feeling his nails dig into his palms painfully, "Right."

Yami stared at him curiously, unsure of how to respond.

_Hiro is acting very strangely,_ Yami thought guiltily, _perhaps...he caught me staring at the server. _He looked back down at his menu, but as he did so, their waitress appeared, placing tall glasses of water before them.

"I'll take your orders now," She said, pulling out a small electronic pad from her apron, the logo "KC" embossed in a deep, silver chrome across the back of the pad, reflecting the sun offensively into Kaiba's eyes, blinding him momentarily.

Clenching his jaw and blinking furiously, Kaiba heard Yami tell the waitress his order. She turned, addressing him directly, "And you sir?"

Kaiba shook his black hair out of his eyes, green spots dancing in his vision, he felt himself request a dish numbly, and her arm passed across his face picking the menus up from the table.

"I'll be right back!" She chirped and Kaiba glared at her back as she walked away.

Sighing, Kaiba leaned forwards onto the table and propped his elbows up against it, threading his fingers together, pressing his thumbs agaisnt his lips in an effort to suppress any hint of emotion that might give him away.

Yami sipped his water delicately, and accidentally inhaled water with a gasp as he saw Hiro strike a very Kaiba-esque pose, elbows up on the table, hands clasped across his face obscuring his mouth. He coughed, feeling his eyes tear up as water burned the back of his nose.

Startled, Kaiba unfolded his arms and automatically took the glass out of Yami's hand without thinking, "Whoa, hey, are you okay?"

Yami swallowed and took a deep breath, shaking, "I'm fine."

Kaiba set the glass down firmly and handed Yami his napkin. Yami took it cautiously, dabbing at his lips lightly, watching Hiro's expression carefully, his dark eyebrows drawn upwards with worry.

"Hiro, are you angry about something?" Yami asked suddenly, catching Kaiba off-guard.

"No, not really." Kaiba lied, avoiding eye contact. _How fucking perceptive,_ he fumed privately.

"You can tell me." Yami said simply, his eyes growing large.

Kaiba felt his heart leap into his throat, his mind racing for the most believable lie. "Well, it's stupid." He said, frantically biding for more time.

"I'm listening." Yami said, tilting his head, his full attention on Hiro.

"Right," Kaiba said, clasping his hands in his lap, trying to appear as meek as possibly, "It's about your phone. I thought you had to return it, but since you were able to text me this morning, I'm assuming everything went well with...Seto Kaiba." Kaiba swallowed. It felt strange saying his own name.

"Oh, that." Yami's eyes darkened and his demeanor changed completely. Kaiba was instantly regretting everything.

"I don't care what happened," Kaiba said quickly, hoping for a saving grace.

Yami frowned and nodded, "I'll tell you what happened." he said, rushing his words, feeling himself heat up.

Kaiba shook his head quickly, but Yami continued to speak, "The visit with Kaiba last night ended strangely, but amicably."

"Strangely?" Kaiba said, unable to stop himself. He gripped his knee tightly, angry with himself.

Yami's shoulder's relaxed and he threw Hiro a small smile.  
_I can read his emotions like a book,_ Yami thought, feeling amused._ He really seems to care.  
_

"Yes it was strange," Yami said, lightly drumming the glass table with his fingertips, "He proceeded to gift every single one of my friends with phones."

Kaiba felt himself tense up even further, "And that's a good thing?" he asked, his voice rising hopefully.

"Depends on how you look at it." Yami said darkly, absentmindedly watching his own fingers tapping the glass.

"What does that mean?" Kaiba asked, dread rising.

"It means you were right." Yami said finally, not looking up from the table, "It means, the phone wasn't anything special. His actions in giving it to me was just purely...convenient."

_What the fuck?! _Kaiba thought as he struggled to understand. "I don't get it." he said stiffly.

"It didn't mean anything." Yami said monotonously, "He was merely throwing his wealth around, my friends and I was conveniently there. Yugi says he was doing this to gather more user-related data."

"You can't just assume that's what he's doing." Kaiba said, almost angrily.

Yami looked at Hiro with dull eyes, "He's done it many times before with his new technology, and very publicly. If you keep up with the latest news, I'm sure you're aware. "

Kaiba paused, wondering to what extent he ought to play stupid. "I don't have time to keep up with the news, unfortunately." He lied, watching Yami's fingers stop drumming the table.

Yami's eyes widened, and he looked like was about to speak, just as the waitress came walking by with their orders. She set a steaming plate of lasagna in front of Yami and a beautifully arranged fillet mignon before Kaiba. "Enjoy!" she sang, and floated away, hurrying to attend to a nearby table.

Yami peered over his plate curiously, impressed, "Wow! That looks nice. " he commented, smiling happily.

Kaiba managed a tight lipped smile and cut into his fillet. "I was ordering blind. I guess it turned out well." He quickly placed the slice into his mouth, enjoying the rich balsamic glaze on the surface.

_This isn't half bad,_ Kaiba mused, cutting himself another thin slice. He noticed Yami watching him longingly, his lasagna untouched. Smiling to himself, Kaiba remembered how much the Motou twins loved their meat.

Quickly, with even strokes, Kaiba thinly sliced up the rest of the meat and stood up suddenly, grabbing Yami's lasagna, deftly switching their plates. He sat back down carefully and pulled the plate of lasagna closer to him and started cutting into it, eager to try it.

Yami was gaping at him, his mouth hanging slightly open with surprise._ How did he know?!_ Yami thought, extremely flustered.

"Eat it." Kaiba urged, "It tastes better in thin slices."

Embarrassed, Yami picked up his fork slowly, blushing furiously, "Thank you." he said quietly, his fork hovering above the plate uncertainly.

"Better hurry, it doesn't taste good cold." Hiro said, and placed a small chunk of lasagna into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully_.  
_

_Everything is layered evenly and well seasoned_, Kaiba thought, feeling satisfied. _Mokuba would love the lasagna here._

Kaiba felt pleased as he watched Yami eagerly dive into his plate. They ate in silence, a gentle breeze ruffled the cloth on the umbrella above them, the light scent from the flower bushes drifted softly through the air.

The lasagna was quite large, Kaiba was actually having trouble finishing it. He set his fork down, and waited for Yami to finish, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back into the chair, feeling blissful. _Wine would go well with this_, Kaiba thought, contemplating flagging the waitress down again, but then he remembered, he was supposed to be a college student. _What kind of college student can afford a fifty dollar glass of wine?_

He felt is eyelid twitch with annoyance. Yami was still chewing thoughtfully, smiling at him every now and then between bites. Kaiba felt a strange sensation swell up in his chest as he gently returned the smiles.

Suddenly, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. His company phone. Kaiba felt his stomach turn uncomfortably. It would be impossibly rude to take a phone call during a date. The phone kept buzzing, and Kaiba shifted uncomfortably, but Yami noticed this immediately.

"You're not answering your phone?" Yami asked, wiping his mouth gracefully on his napkin.

Kaiba frowned, "I don't want to be rude."

"Oh, go ahead, I don't mind." Yami said carelessly, reaching for his water.

Relieved to hear this, Kaiba quickly reached into his pocket and fished out his phone. It was Mokuba. _Maybe I should answer this later_, Kaiba thought nervously, but he noticed the look Yami was giving him, and decided agaisnt it.

Quickly sliding the call button aside, he chose his words carefully, "Hey," he said casually, praying Mokuba wouldn't think much of it.

"Seto!" Mokuba sounded breathless, "I_ know _you're gonna say no, but please hear me out first okay?"

"Okay." Kaiba said, making sure to keep his expressions neutral. Yami had lowered his had back down, finishing up the last slices of the fillet.

"Yugi invited me to race go-karts with them this weekend! I wanna go!" Mokuba pleaded, "I'll finish all my homework for the week! I'll read 10 books all by this weekend!"

Kaiba felt a laugh inadvertently escape his throat, "No." he said, keeping his tone even.

Yami tilted his head up curiously, and watched as Hiro blinked rapidly, the caller seemed to be distressing him. Yami was about to turn back to his food when he suddenly noticed the phone in Hiro's hand. Yami dropped his fork with a clatter. There was no mistake, the end of the phone peeking out from underneath Hiro's palm was _most definitely_ one of the Kaiba's newest phones.

Yami reeled, _why haven't I noticed that before?! Kaiba specifically mentioned the phones had not been released to the public yet. _

"What was that noise?" Mokuba asked abruptly, "That sounded like metal!"

"Don't worry about it." Kaiba responded evenly, "We'll talk about this more later."

"Fine." Mokuba said, huffing, "See you at home." And he hung up.

Kaiba pulled the phone away from his ear, displeased, and shoved it back into his pocket viciously. He looked up and noticed Yami staring at him, eyes wide, his eyebrows drawn upwards in confusion and uncertainty.

"What?" Kaiba asked defensively, knowing this look well.

Yami swallowed and spoke slowly, "You have...two phones!"

Kaiba felt his blood run cold. _Oh shit, oh fuck, oh shit!  
_

"I ...do...have two phones." Kaiba responded with equal slowness, his heart beating loudly in his ears.

"Who was that?" Yami demanded. "On the phone, who were you talking with?"

"No one." Kaiba said, wishing desperately for a topic change. "Finish your food before it gets cold."

"No. Not until you tell me." Yami insisted, folding his arms firmly across his chest and glaring at him.

Kaiba felt his face almost melt off at the intensity of Yami's familiar glare. "It was...family." he said blandly, hoping his answer would suffice.

"That was a lie. Try again." Yami growled, crossing one leg over the other.

"That was the truth!" Kaiba cried, raising a hand up defensively.

"You get _family_ calls on a new, unreleased phone ...from Seto Kaiba?" Yami sneered.

Kaiba sat frozen in place, realized he was trapped, arguing head-on with Yami on a situation hanging precariously on his thinly built lies-he would lose in an instant. He said nothing and lowered his head in defeat, staring through the glass table at his fists, clenched tightly in his lap.

_I fucked up_, Kaiba thought miserably, _I either lie my way out of this, or I tell him who I am. Right now. _Kaiba blinked astutely, still staring into the glass. _Publicly? I don't want to cause a scene, and besides, this wasn't how I imagined it happening.  
_

"I'm waiting for an answer, Hiro." Yami hissed, tapping his foot against the concrete, feeling a bubble of anger form tightly in his chest.

Kaiba kept his head resolutely downwards, feeling the weight of his head strain his neck. He heard whispers from the nearby tables. They were already undoubtedly causing a scene. It wouldn't be long before people whipped out their phones and started filming. Kaiba uncurled his fists, his mind racing. He lay his hands flat on his lap, realizing his manicure was still chipped, reminding him of his efforts at the bakery.

_I can't_, Kaiba thought. _I've come too far. I'll stay in character. I'm not real anyway. I can say whatever the fuck I want. I just have to sell it with all my might. _

Kaiba forced his shoulders to hunch forward, and he lowered his head so far, his chin almost touched his chest. "I'm not proud of it. " he whispered

Yami frowned, watching Hiro shrink in size, almost as if he was trying to disappear from the inside out. He felt the anger fading, turning into curiosity.

"What?" Yami asked, uncrossing his legs and leaning forwards, suddenly concerned that he may have been too harsh with his tone.

"I have family, who work for_ him._ I'm not proud of it." Hiro said, his voice barely audible over the sound of the chattering people around them.

_Not technically a lie_, Kaiba thought dully, _Mokuba was on the phone, who I consider my family. He works for me, technically. _

"Your family is employed by Seto Kaiba?" Yami blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly.

Hiro raised his head slightly, "Yes. I don't talk about it too much, its an uncomfortable subject."

"You can tell me." Yami urged gently, realizing he definitely was too harsh earlier.

Kaiba waited, using the silence in his favor, realizing Yami had uncrossed all his limbs, meaning he was less angry than he was a minute ago. This was working.

"They want me to join the tech industry. But I don't care for it." Kaiba said, feeling his tongue swell with his lies. "They don't approve of anything I do, hence, I live on my own, and I pursue the training I want."

Yami nodded, satisfied with the answer. He picked up his fork and placed the last slice of fillet in his mouth, chewing slowly, noting that it was cold and stiff; no longer as tender and juicy as it was when it was hot.

"You're right," Yami said lightly, hoping to diffuse the situation, "This tastes better hot."

Kaiba forced himself to nod, keeping his head down, hiding his eyes in his hair.

Yami frowned guiltily. He stared at the dark swirl of hair in front of him, realizing he should probably apologize for his tone earlier. To his surprise, Hiro beat him to it.

"I'm sorry," Hiro said softly, "This wasn't how I wanted to you to find out."

Startled, Yami responded quickly, "I want to apologize for sounding rude. It's your personal business, I really shouldn't have pushed you for an answer you didn't want to give."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Kaiba heard footsteps as the waitress approached their table cautiously, "Is everything alright over here? Need some dessert?"

He lifted his head and smiled at her, "Everything was wonderful, the check, please."

Yami blinked, startled but pleased that Hiro didn't seem to be upset anymore.

The waitress seemed startled too. She smiled back faintly and reached down to grab their plates, "Let me box that lasagna up for you! I'll be right back with that check!" and she walked away quickly.

Kaiba leaned back in to his chair again, feeling his neck cramp up. He slowly reached his hand around and grasped his shoulders, shrugging them, feeling tight and uncomfortable. Yami was sitting very still, across from him, staring at him with a guilty look on his face. Kaiba ignored this and turned his gaze elsewhere.

Their waitress quickly returned with the check and the boxed leftovers, and started to walk away again before Kaiba stopped her. "Wait." He called, reaching into his wallet and slipping out a few crisp bills and placing it on the glass tray. "This should do it."

"Oh!" She cried, looking surprised, "Thank you, I'll be right back with your change."

"Keep it." Kaiba said, standing slowly and gesturing for Yami to do the same. Yami's eyes widened at the fold of bills on the glass tray, and looked back and forth between Hiro and the flustered waitress.

"That's about sixty-five dollars over your total amount," she stammered, eyeing the tray.

"Thank you, we're leaving." Kaiba said shortly, stepping around her and grabbing Yami firmly by the hand. Kaiba tugged on his arm gently and led them out of the restaurant. "Thank you come again!" The blonde maitre d' shouted.

Yami didn't hear anything. He felt a pleasant buzzing around the front of his mind as he felt himself being led out into the brick-lined street, Hiro's slender back inches before his nose. Yami felt his spirits soar, he didn't care where they were going, just as long as Hiro didn't let go.

Kaiba walked a few yards away from the entrance of the restaurant, pausing where the street ended and merged into a wide crossing. People surrounded them on all sides, carrying large shopping bags, chattering excitedly while crowding at the light, waiting for it to turn green.

Realizing he'd made a mistake, Kaiba turned, trying to exit the crowd, but failed as more people queued at the intersection. He looked down at Yami, realizing he was still holding onto his hand. Kaiba's heart leaped as he tried to quickly withdraw his hand, but he felt Yami's grip tighten around his fingers reassuringly. Kaiba felt his entire being burn with embarrassment and he looked away from Yami nervously.

Yami smiled up at Hiro and pressed his palm reassuringly into his as the crowd surged forward. They followed the flow of shoppers and managed to break out of the pack as the crowd thinned.

They had arrived by a little play area surrounded by trees and benches, and in the center of the play area, children were climbing, rolling, and kicking life-sized chess pieces strewn across an enormous stone chessboard.

"Such large pieces! Let's play!" Yami exclaimed enthusiastically, suddenly letting go of Hiro's hand.

Kaiba swallowed, resisting the temptation with every fiber of his being, "No thank you." he declined, knowing he'd give himself away in an instant.

"Come on," Yami said playfully, "I'll go easy on you."

"I don't know how to play." Kaiba said, feeling himself scream and twist internally at this lie.

Yami's eyes widened, "You don't? Not even a little?"

Hiro shook his head slowly, "Not enough."

"Ah..." Yami fell slightly, clearly disappointed. Kaiba guiltily turned to apologize, as Yami lit up again, "I can teach you!"

Kaiba felt himself recoil at the thought, "It's fine, let's keep going," he said, motioning towards the sidewalk. Yami nodded and paused, reaching his hand into his pocket.

"I'm getting a call." Yami said, embarrassed. Kaiba waved him off casually, "I don't mind. Answer it."

He watched as Yami tapped the screen and answer the call. He could immediately tell, judging by Yami's expression, that it was Yugi.

"Yami! Are you coming home to work the counter?" Yugi asked, his phone pressed agaisnt his ear with his shoulder as he hastily slid on his shoes.

Yami narrowed his eyes and replied, "I don't plan on it," glancing over at Hiro who was observing the children play on the chess set with an air of amusement.

"You can't do that Yami!" Yugi exclaimed, "You always take the afternoon shift on days you don't have classes. We can't just close the store randomly because you suddenly didn't feel like it."

Yami sighed and shook his bangs out of his eyes, "Alright, I'll be there soon."

"Thank you Yami. I know minding the store isn't your favorite activity." Yugi said, and Yami could hear the jangling of keys as Yugi locked the door behind him.

Yami sighed and hung up the phone sadly, upset that his time with Hiro had been cut short.

Kaiba watched as Yami shoved his phone dejectedly in his pocket. "What happened?" he asked, knowing the answer fully.

"I need to head back to the game shop and keep the store open for the rest of the day." Yami said, irritated.

"No problem," Kaiba mustered the warmest smile he could manage, "I'll drive us back." He pulled the keys out of his pocket and looped it around his slender fingers, palming them quickly.

Yami hung his head moodily and didn't move.

"We'll take the scenic route." Hiro said, hoping to cheer him up, "Come on."

Yami lifted his head, slightly intrigued, "What does that mean?"

"You'll see," Hiro said playfully, turning around and walking out towards the sidewalk.

Hoping Yami would follow him, Kaiba exited the play area and stepped out onto the sidewalk. A group of women walked by, gossiping loudly, pushing a set of strollers nearly steamrolled his toes. He jumped back, cursing under his breath as the women threw him dirty looks over their shoulders. He whirled around, panicking, worried Yami may have witnessed that, but he was no where to be found.

Confused, Kaiba headed back into the play area, looking for him. Yami was still standing stubbornly in the same place, arms folded tightly across his chest, glowering at the two children that remained on the life-sized chess set.

"Yami?" Hiro spoke gently, leaning forwards slightly, waving a hand in front of his face.

Yami didn't move, wondering if there was any way he could stall his way out of leaving.

Kaiba sighed and figured they weren't leaving unless he exerted a little pressure. Yami still had his arms tightly crossed. Kaiba wrapped his hand around Yami's wrist and pried his arms apart forcefully, feeling Yami resist, still stubbornly staring at the children playing on the chess set. He tightened his grip, feeling Yami relax his arms a bit, he took this chance to quickly walk forward, pulling Yami behind him, jerking him forward.

Yami stumbled forwards and fell into step behind Hiro, secretly glad that they were touching hands again. He felt Hiro pulling him along, his tall frame bobbing reassuringly in front of him, his long strides taking up two of Yami's steps. As they neared the parking lot, Yami was starting to feel annoyed; he wanted to hold Hiro's hand, so he tried to shake himself loose, to no avail. Hiro's grip only tightened further around his wrist.

"Stop struggling," Kaiba mumbled, gritting his teeth.

"Let go!" Yami cried, his feet sliding on the pavement.

"Fine." Kaia said, exasperated. They were already at the car anyway. Kaiba strode over to the passenger seat, opened the door wide, and walked towards the driver's side, waiting for Yami to get in.

Yami stood sullenly a few feet away from the car.

"Get in!" Kaiba called, trying to keep his tone even. Yami was being very difficult.

_What the fuck is his problem?! _Kaiba fumed, wondering what other tactics he could use to coax Yami into the car.

"I don't want to leave just yet," Yami said, jutting out his lower lip in displeasure, pouting slightly.

Kaiba resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This behavior was most commonly seen in Mokuba whenever their outings were cut short by a work-related call. But this wasn't Mokuba. This was Yugi, the _other_ Yugi, actually. Kaiba sighed, running a hand through his dyed hair in frustration.

He walked around the car quickly and tried grabbing Yami's arm again, but Yami dodged him silky, shifting his shoulders back defiantly. Kaiba stared at Yami, not quite believing the behavior he was witnessing. He was about to toss Yami over his shoulder and throw him in the car when he noticed Yami's pout return. Kaiba stared at his lips, and looked back towards the car, and back to Yami's lips.

Yami blinked at him rebelliously, crossing his arms tightly across his chest once again.

Yami smirked, watching Hiro struggle internally, his eyes darting back and forth between him and the car.

"Get in, the car." Hiro enunciated, forcing a smile, which looked more like a sneer.

"Mmm no." Yami shook his head, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing.

Kaiba stared at Yami's teeth as they lightly grazed his lower lip, and he swallowed dryly, grasping thinly onto his self control.

Kaiba stepped up real close to Yami, attempting to threaten him with his height, "Don't make me do something I'm going to regret." Kaiba said, his resolve slipping.

Yami tilted his head back playfully, "Oh I wouldn't want tha-" he was cut off as Hiro suddenly leaned down and pressed his lips persistently on his. Yami almost staggered back at the force of which their lips met, feeling his knees bend and his neck strain. Strong arms held him in place, and Yami sunk his weight into Hiro, allowing himself to be kissed roundly, sensing the slight desperation from Hiro's lips as they melted onto his.

Kaiba felt Yami sigh contentedly and relax into his arms the moment their lips met, and he smirked against Yami's lips, surprised at how easy this was becoming. He felt Yami's tongue roaming boldly around the edge of their lips, and he pulled away suddenly, purposefully denying Yami contact. Yami frowned and made a strange noise, jutting upwards on his tip-toes, attempting to re-connect. Kaiba shook his head devilishly, licking his lips, wetting them on purpose, "Let's get in the car."

Yami shook his head vigorously, straining upwards on his toes, he felt his vision blur and his breath quicken as Hiro wet his lips tantalizingly before him.

Kaiba watched in amusement as he could see Yami's pupils dilating, his dark lashes fluttering, gazing at him imploringly. Against every voice in his head that was screaming at him _not _to continue, Kaiba leaned down once more and lightly brushed his lips across Yami's, inhaling his sweet breath. Kaiba felt his heart race and he felt Yami struggle upwards, grabbing at his shirt attempting to climb him. In one smooth movement, Kaiba wrapped his arms firmly around Yami and lifted him, trapping his arms at his sides and pressing him against his body so tightly he could feel Yami's belts digging through his thin t-shirt.

He could feel Yami gasp with surprise and Kaiba quickly swung around to the open car door behind him and bent down carefully, setting Yami down in the seat.

"Hey!" Yami protested, attempting to climb out again, but Hiro quickly lifted his knees and pushed them in, shutting the door with slam. Yami sat in stunned silence, the sudden quiet of the car and the crunching of Hiro's footsteps on the pavement as he circled the car, shocked him to his senses.

The driver's door opened and Hiro climbed in gracefully, tucking his long legs into the car.

"Let's get you home, okay?" Kaiba said softly, and he locked the doors for a good measure, in case Yami had any ideas about making things difficult again.

Yami heard the locks click with a loud _clack! _and glanced over at Hiro who was studying him closely. "I don't want to." he said, slowly leaning back into the seat, accepting defeat.

"You can complain the whole way back, I'll gladly listen." Hiro said seriously. The engine roared to life and Hiro leaned his hand against Yami's headrest as he backed out of the space carefully.

Yami's eyes followed Hiro's arm upwards and he placed his hand firmly on his wrist, gripping him tightly.

"You can grab my arm all you want, I can drive with one hand." Hiro said teasingly, placing his hand carefully on the throttle, keeping his eyes on the road.

Yami said nothing and crept his hand slowly over the top of Hiro's pale hands, which were significantly larger than his. He pressed his fingers in through the top of Hiro's hand, lacing his fingers together, and held on firmly.

Kaiba felt the gentle warmth from Yami's hand envelop his, and he tried not to react, pulling smoothly onto the freeway. Cars zipped by and Yami felt oddly disgruntled, the feeling of Hiro's hand underneath his felt strangely familiar, yet...strangely foreign. Yami looked over at Hiro's striking profile and leaned away from him slightly, squinting at him. _  
_

_The structure of his face is _so _similar to Kaiba's_, Yami thought, his mouth running dry. _Almost too similar, it's unnerving!_

Yami studied Hiro's profile more carefully, noting the strong angle of his jawline slanting upwards with his high cheekbones, curving across his narrow face, meeting at his slender nose, dipping down over a thin cupid's bow, onto a set of perfectly shaped lips.

Kaiba felt Yami's eyes burning through him like fire and his grip tightened on the throttle. He looked over, meeting Yami's dark violet gaze. "What is it?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Yami tore his eyes away from Hiro's face and looked out his window, quickly withdrawing his hand away and back onto his lap. "Nothing." Yami said quickly.

Kaiba nodded slowly and resisted the urge to shoot a glare at Yami. He _hated it_ when Yami answered his questions with one word answers, especially when it clearly wasn't 'nothing'.

"You can tell me," he said, attempting to repeat the sentiment from earlier.

Yami shook his head and tucked his hands under his thighs, staring resolutely out the window, lost in thought. _I suppose I find Kaiba attractive, but the feelings I'm experiencing here are unnatural_, Yami thought darkly._ I've only just met this person, it hasn't been a week and we've done everything backwards._

Yami recalled all the romantic movies he had watched with Yugi; they all usually started with hand-holding as the first step, not...Yami felt himself shudder as he recalled the events from this morning, Hiro's gleeful look as he rammed his arousal repeatedly into his open mouth with force.

Kaiba noticed Yami shifting strangely in his seat, and he pulled off the freeway, driving through a small residential area lined with trees in full bloom. Wind whipped the branches around as flower petals caught on the windshield and gathered at the bottom of the wipers.

Yami watched the small, pink petals stick on the windows as they drove by slowly. He turned towards Hiro, a small bubble of panic rising in his throat, "This isn't the way back."

Hiro tossed the black hair out of his eyes and smiled charmingly at Yami, "This is the scenic route. Isn't it beautiful?"

Yami blinked at him, speechless, and Kaiba cleverly lowered the window open halfway, the wind brushed a few petals into the car, catching in Yami's bangs. Startled, Yami shook them out of his hair and watched them float onto his lap as Hiro's hearty laugh filled the car. Furrowing his brow slightly, Yami watched as Hiro threw his head back, laughing deeply.

Yami felt his chest tighten painfully, and he felt his eyes heat up as tears welled up in the corners. _There was no way this man, despite the physical similarities to Seto Kaiba, could _ever _replace Kaiba himself, _Yami thought and he forced himself to look away.

Kaiba noticed Yami flick his head to the side and was worried he had offended him.

Yami heard Hiro speak up softly, "Hey, I didn't mean to make you mad, that was just...that was cute." Hiro threw him a casual grin, showing off a set of perfect, white teeth. Yami blinked and felt a a hot tear curl down his cheek, his face burning with emotion. Yami resolutely kept towards the window, hoping Hiro wouldn't notice.

Kaiba turned the corner, slowly driving through another row of blooming trees. He glanced over at Yami who was pointed away from him, his knees pushed agaisnt the edge of the door, his nose almost pressing the glass.

Kaiba felt pleased, thinking Yami was enjoying himself, until he glanced over again, noticing spots of wetness gathering atop his leather pants. His heart dropped to his feet and he stepped on the pedal heavily. The car lurched to a stop, smack in the middle of the road between a row of beautiful town homes. Kaiba saw Yami's elbows tighten, bracing himself agaisnt the momentum of the car stopping.

He shut the car off suddenly, hoping it would make Yami turn to face him.

Yami didn't move.

Kaiba sighed and leaned back in his seat silently, wondering if he should speak first, or wait for Yami to compose himself. There was a long silence as Kaiba waited, his levels of concern raising dramatically as the minutes ticked by. Soft, pink petals drifted in through the open window, gathering in their laps as they sat still, with no sound other than the breeze rustling the branches above them.

It seemed like Yami wasn't going to speak so Kaiba cleared his throat softly, waiting for a reaction. He watched as another tear landed on Yami's pants and roll off the side, leaving a small trail of droplets behind it.

_Oh god_, Kaiba panned, _what the fuck did I do wrong now.  
_

"If it's something I did, I apologize." Kaiba said shortly, hoping to diffuse the situation. He watched Yami shake his head, still facing away from him.

"It wasn't something I did?" Kaiba asked hopefully. Again, Yami shook his head.

_Okay, then what the fuck is it? _Kaiba thought, frustrated.

"Want a closer look at these trees? They only bloom this time of year. I know you like flowers like these." Kaiba said lightly, brushing some petals off of his knee with a shaking hand.

Yami shook his head again and slid his hands out from under his thighs, bringing them up to palm his face in embarrassment, tears leaking out from behind his fingers.

This sight was distressing Kaiba greatly. "Please, tell me what's wrong." he mumbled, releasing his seat belt and leaning across the divide, lightly wrapping his fingers around Yami's slender wrists, trying to pull his hands away from his face. He felt Yami resist, shoving his face deeper into his hands, his shoulders beginning to shake violently, deep shudders racked his body, as he tried repressing the sobs into his hands.

Kaiba felt stricken, unsure of how to react. The sight of his rival, shamelessly, openly crying before him was worrying him greatly. "No, don't-don't do that." Kaiba murmured, gently brushing Yami's blond bangs aside, and rubbed his back in soft, reassuring circles, attempting to calm him down.

Yami felt Hiro touch him gently, speak to him gently, rub his back gently, and he couldn't take it anymore. This was everything he wanted, everything he craved, but from the wrong person. He couldn't control the sobs that wrenched themselves up from deep within him. This was embarrassing, this was a stranger, this was wrong, but it felt so good, it felt so right...

Yami choked on his tears, leaning away from Hiro's touch, bracing his knees, curling himself up into a ball, wishing everything would disappear. _What am I doing, crying in the car of a stranger I've just met?! What am I doing, kissing him, having sex with him? _Yami reeled, feeling the wetness from his tears gather in his palms suffocating him.

The car door opened suddenly, catching him by surprise. Strong arms grabbed him, pulling him out of his seat and into a crushing embrace. Yami felt his hands pressing painfully into his face as Hiro's palm found its way around the back of his head, pushing him into his thin t-shirt. Hiro's chest felt so solid, like it was cut from stone as Yami could feel the curve of his muscles agaisnt the backs of his fingertips.

"O-ow." Yami said, his voice muffed through his hands.

"Sorry." Kaiba said gruffly, releasing him. He watched as Yami pulled his palms slowly away from his face, surveying the mass of tears that were flowing uncontrollably down his face. Before Yami could cup his face again, Kaiba grabbed Yami's hand and pulled him away from the car and onto the sidewalk. Yami allowed himself to be led away, keeping his head down in embarrassment, watching his feet step over blurry piles of pink petals.

Hiro gently placed his large hands on the sides of his face and lifted his head upwards. Feeling detached, Yami let him, and he gazed into Hiro's deep brown eyes, thick black hair covering most of his brows, exactly the way they covered Seto Kaiba's. Yami felt his throat constrict painfully as tears fell from his eyes, dripping down the edges of Hiro's hands.

"Stop!" Kaiba cried desperately, "Tell me what's wrong!" He felt Yami attempt to shake his head against in his grip, blinking his large, wet, violet eyes. Kaiba pulled Yami's face towards him and kissed him deeply out of sheer desperation. He felt the wetness from Yami's face transfer onto his cheek, and onto his nose. Kaiba pulled away and swept his thumbs over Yami's cheeks softly, attempting to dry them. Realizing that was a futile effort, Kaiba quickly wiped his hands on his jeans and pressed Yami's face into this shirt, feeling the wetness leave an imprint on his chest.

Yami felt his will to fight leave his body as Hiro pushed his face onto his shirt, trying to dry his face.

Hiro's hands cupped his face and pulled his head back, their eyes met, and Hiro kissed him passionately again, his lips were warm and reassuring. Yami felt his head spin wildly, as Hiro pulled away again, shoving his face back into his muscled chest, and then yanking his head back to kiss him intensely again.

Weak and exhausted from crying, Yami let Hiro do as he pleased, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides, his eyes half-open, his face still damp with tears. Yami felt his stomach clench painfully as his muscles cramped from the pain of his dry heaving.

Kaiba was starting to feel exasperated, "Okay now, can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked, running his hands down Yami's shaking shoulders, squeezing him gently.

"I'm a fool," Yami cried, blinking wildly, "I'm trying to stop...I can't..!"

"Take a deep breath and hold it." Kaiba commanded, and he watched Yami's thin frame tremble with effort as he drew a deep, shaky breath, pausing. Yami felt himself convulse as a dry heave threatened to consume him.

"Let it out," Kaiba said, biting his tongue, watching Yami release his breath out with a soft _whoosh!_

"Now, do another." Kaiba said sternly, gripping Yami's shoulders tightly, watching his face closely. Yami inhaled deeply, this time, his heaving had subsided. He rocked back and forth precariously on his heels; Kaiba dug his thumbs into Yami's arms, holding him steady.

"And another." Kaiba said, shaking Yami slightly, feeling a small wave of relief wash over him as Yami visibly began to calm down. Yami took in another breath as his tears stopped flowing and his breathing became a steady, even rhythm, once again.

"Now, look up." Kaiba said, with a small smile, hoping it would brighten Yami's mood.

Yami obliged and tilted his head upwards, and he felt a strange calm settle over him. Beautiful pink blossoms gathered together fully, on wide branches, reaching out as far as he could see, covering the sky. Sunlight dotted behind them as it filtered through the sheets of flowers, the transparency of the delicate petals astounded him, Yami watched them sway in the wind, mesmerized by their movement. The wind carried a few loose petals through the air, and Yami watched them settle on top of Hiro's head, the pink contrasting wondrously with his black hair.

His eyes traveled down from Hiro's head and onto his face. "Better now?" Hiro asked him, his face drawn together with deep concern.

Yami managed a small laugh, and nodded, feeling chest grow sore. He watched as Hiro narrowed his eyes at him, "Okay. good." he said, his dark brown eyes traveling over his face carefully. Yami unwittingly felt himself blush and he looked back towards the car which was parked obnoxiously in the middle of the road, doors wide open, pink petals blowing in through every opening.

"Your car might need a cleaning." Yami said, feeling himself smile. He saw Hiro whip his head towards the car and yell loudly, releasing him suddenly and rushing over to it and attempting to brush the petals out of the leather seats.

Yami felt himself laugh, and Hiro perked his head up over the roof of the car, looking relieved.

_Thank god_, Kaiba thought darkly, bending back down to pick petals out from the cracks of the seats,_ now I can finally take him home. I'll be damned if I dropped him off at his doorstep looking like a huge mess. Yugi might just murder me on the spot.  
_

Yami lifted his head up towards the flowers again and held his palms upwards, trying to catch some of the petals, feeling the wind them slide through his fingertips. _I'm such a fool_, Yami berated himself, _I don't know what I'm doing, but if I'm being treated right, does it really matter?_

Yami glanced over at Hiro's tall figure, bent gracefully into the back seat, still frantically brushing bits of flowers out from the car.

_It doesn't matter_, Yami decided, _Hiro is a happy, loving, kind, and considerate person. Definitely one thousand times a better person than Kaiba is on any given day, even if I do crave the fiery challenges, insults, and sarcastic remarks. _

He watched as Hiro leaned breathlessly against the door frame, having sufficiently picked the car clean of petals.

"Ready to go home?" Hiro called, the corners of his lips curving upwards into a smile.

Yami took one last look up at the trees and nodded, walking over to the car and getting in quickly. Hiro climbed in beside him and shut the door, a few more petals sneaking their way in, landing on his lap. Yami looked at him, waiting for a reaction, but Hiro ignored it, and started the engine, the car vibrated loudly and they drove off slowly.

Pulling onto the freeway, Kaiba carefully glanced over at Yami again, making sure the waterworks weren't about to start again, but to his relief, he seemed to be acting normally, looking straight ahead onto the road, his hands folded loosely in his lap.

Kaiba reached over and gently covered the tops of Yami's slender hands with his, feeling Yami's knuckles pressing into his palms. Kaiba cautiously slipped his fingers underneath Yami's hands and locked their fingers together. He pulled Yami's knuckles towards his lips, kissing them lightly.

Yami shuddered as he felt Hiro's breath heat the back of his hand, as his lips grazed his knuckles lightly. He saw Hiro sneak a look at him, checking on him. Yami smiled back and wiggled his fingers playfully in his grasp. Hiro nodded, but kept his hand firmly cradled agaisnt his face. Yami felt his a nervous flutter as Hiro kept his hand captive for the rest of the drive. It wasn't until they pulled up by the Kame Game Shop, that Hiro let his hand go. Yami hung his head, unsure of how to apologize for his earlier behavior, and unsure of how to properly express his thanks.

"Text me," Hiro said, the back of his hand brushing up on his cheek softly, trailing down to his chin and lifting his head back up. "That look doesn't suit you. You look better angry, any day."

Yami blinked and swallowed, "Thank you, and I'm sorry...I-" Hiro's thumb pressed lightly on his lower lip, and his long fingers caressed the edge of his jaw firmly.

"Text me." Kaiba repeated, staring intently into Yami's eyes, looking for signs of wetness.

Yami nodded and let himself out of the car. He walked to the front door and turned to watch Hiro back his car up, the roaring engine echoing off the neighboring buildings as he drove off into the distance. Yami felt around in his pockets and fished out his keys, letting himself into the shop, he closed the door gently behind him, the bell jingling merrily behind him.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Thank you all for your support, follows, favorites and reviews! They all help me write new chapters so much quicker ^_^ happy reading and please look forward to a new chapter soon!

3


	9. Chapter 9

Kaiba gripped the steering wheel, speeding dangerously on the freeway, replaying everything in his head over an over.

_What the hell is wrong with him?_ Kaiba fumed, _One minute he's happy and the next, he's crying. He keeps saying 'it's nothing, it's nothing, it's nothing'! _He slowly increased the pressure on the pedal, feeling a vicious satisfaction as the needle passed the red line on his speedometer.

_Is something happening in the Motou household that I'm not a aware of?_ Kaiba thought furiously, _Was he in a fight with Yugi? Did he not enjoy the lunch? He caught me in an obvious lie, but I wormed my way out of that one! _

Releasing the gas pedal, the car began to slow down easily, blending into traffic seamlessly. Kaiba's hand rested on the clutch, the ghostly feeling of Yami's touch lingered above his hand. He curled his hand back, clenching his fist.

_I'm getting carried away_, Kaiba screamed at himself internally,_ I'm kissing and touching him freely, and he reciprocates one hundred percent! What the fuck am I doing?! _

Kaiba frowned, exiting the freeway, applying pressure to the brakes. _It shouldn't be this easy, Yami isn't that type of person, ...or is he? _Kaiba mused, unsure of what to think. _Does he kiss every stranger he comes across? _His mind drew up the image of Yami's eyes following the attractive, blond maitre d' from the restaurant, and Kaiba resumed his tight grip on the wheel, watching his knuckles turn white.

_Yea, he was definitely staring at that other guy,_ Kaiba fumed, realizing he wasn't fully aware of where he was going. Forcing himself to calm down, he took note of his surroundings; he was near the shopping strip again. He suddenly remembered the original reason he headed out today-he needed to expand his casual wardrobe! Cursing under his breath, Kaiba pulled off the freeway and headed back towards the shopping complex.

* * *

Yami leaned agaisnt the door of the game shop, feeling the cool glass seep through the back of his jacket. Quickly flipping the "Open" sign around, he turned the lights on and walked behind the counter, searching for the to-do list Yugi always left behind. He found it easily, tucked under a note that read, "Yami, group project might run late, deadline near. I'll be eating dinner with my group. Make sure you eat too! Love you!"

Yami sighed and tucked the note away into the store notebook with the stack of similar notes. He always made sure to keep every single one of Yugi's notes, although he wasn't sure if Yugi was aware of his strange habit. Yami glanced at the first task on the list: Sweep.

Grumbling, Yami grabbed the broom and started at the far corner of the room, noticing the floor was quite dusty given the amount of wind they've been experiencing. He leaned agaisnt his broom, staring at the shelves of games, not really seeing them.

_I need to apologize properly to Hiro_, Yami thought, feeling guilty. _It seems like I'm always apologizing for something or other these days. _

He looked down at the little pile of dust he'd gathered.

_If I want to be happy with Hiro, I need to give myself closure with Kaiba, _Yami thought sullenly,_ perhaps I should just let him reject me. That way, I can freely go with Hiro without anything holding me back._

He continued sweeping vigorously, wondering when he should approach Kaiba.

Yami hummed thoughtfully and pulled out his phone, texting Yugi. "When will you be home?" he asked, and to his surprise, his phone buzzed quickly as Yugi responded immediately with "Late, like past midnight. We have a lot riding on this last project!"

"Got it, be safe Aibou." Yami responded, and he clicked his phone screen shut, deciding he was going to meet Kaiba tonight. The sooner the better, seeing as how he and Hiro were growing closer, abnormally fast. Clearing his feelings, along with his conscious would help immensely. His shoulders lighten at this prospect, Yami quickly finished cleaning the store and moved on to the next task on the list.

* * *

Kaiba circled a display mounted with two mannequins, eyeing the stitching on the clothes. He glanced up at the store sign, unable to recognize the brand and he decided to move on. It had been like this for several stores now and he was becoming irritated.

_Wasn't this supposed to be an upscale area? Why did all the textiles look as though they'd been chosen by a vision impaired teenager in the throes of angst?! _Kaiba thought angrily, suddenly understanding and appreciating the careful selection of attire his secretary had chosen for him.

He stepped into another shop, noting the monotone decor and felt slightly better. A female employee, about his age, approached him confidently, "Is there anything I can help you find?" she asked, standing politely off to the side. She was wearing a black collared shirt with a simple gold embroidered design, hugging the tips of her cuffs and collar. Suddenly an image of Yami wearing the shirt, with the buttons half undone, flashed across his vision, and Kaiba shook his head stiffly, feeling himself go stir-crazy.

"I'll be here if you need anything." she said silkily and turned to leave.

"Actually," Kaiba heard himself speak before fully realizing it, "The shirt you're currently wearing..."

"Oh this!" She brightened up, and gestured for him to follow, "This is actually part of our spring his/hers collection! Come take a look, if you like this shirt, I'm sure you'd like the whole collection."

They approached a row of neatly lined shirts and trousers, arranged in an attractive gradient from white, to grey, to black. Kaiba raise his eyebrows, impressed. The female employee spoke up again, "One more thing, our items are European sized, so if you have any issues with the conversion, I'm happy to help."

Relieved, Kaiba nodded at her in thanks. European sizes fit his tall figure more precisely, which shouldn't be an issue. He walked forward and ran his hands through the fabrics, feeling their weight in his hands. It felt good, the shirts were light, but sturdy. Kaiba ran his arm down the length of a few pants that were hanging nearby. They were made with an interesting material that shone back at him at certain angles, feeling slightly stretchy. _Probably some kind of nylon-blend for hotter days_, Kaiba noted to himself.

The employee noticed Kaiba patting the material down carefully.

"There's a similar pair, in our active wear section." she said hopefully. Kaiba shook his head and pushed them aside on the rack, noticing the next few pairs of white, grey, and black jeans.

He ran his fingers down the seam lines, feeling the material rub back at him, the dark dye had a strange texture, which also gave off an attractive sheen. He moved past the pants and ran his hands across several light jackets, blazers, vests, and sweaters. Many of them had long lapels, thick collars, and deep pockets which Kaiba was quite fond of. He slid the outerwear aside and arrived at a series of very thin undershirts with a bold, monochrome pattern, paired with slim, plain, cotton shorts.

He turned to the employee and she quickly explained, "Lounge wear." Kaiba nodded and realized he had reached the end of the men's selection. Women's tops were a few inches away. Kaiba spotted the embroidered collar peeking out between a few other articles. He passed his hand gracefully between the hangers and drew the shirt out, studying it carefully. Quickly placing it back on the rack, he quickly flipped through the other skirts and tights. He reached the end of the rack and he turned to the female employee. "I'll take everything on the men's rack, including the shirt." Kaiba said, gesturing towards the women's rack.

The female employee blinked at him, "O-Of course, let me get my manager." she mumbled and she hurried away. Kaiba eyed the rest of the store, looking for anything else he may need. He glanced at his watch and noticed it was getting late. Kaiba frowned, annoyed. He really wanted to hit up several other stores instead of just one, but it seemed like this would have to do for now.

The manager approached him, holding an electronic pad, asking him to select his sizes and styles off the screen. Kaiba quickly tapped the options, deciding to grab a dark vest in Mokuba's size as well. He handed the pad back to the manager, and she walked briskly over glass counter and the other employee quickly appeared with a large stack of boxes.

"Will you be able to carry all of these?" the manager asked, worried.

Kaiba eyed the stack readily, "I'll be fine." he said.

The manager began keying in the items lighting fast, mumbling under her breath, and the items popped before Kaiba on another screen, detailing his purchases. Kaiba glanced over at the manager again, realizing she wasn't referring to a chart for the codes-she had them all memorized. He raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

"How long have you worked here?" he asked casually.

"About 2 years," She responded, squinting at the screen, still keying in items.

"And you manage to remember all that without a chart?" Kaiba asked, his curiosity mounting.

"It's kinda part of the job," she said flatly, "We get new collections in every season, and our brand has something agaisnt tags, which they say cheapens the appearance of our outfits, which is stupid if you ask me."

"That is stupid. Then what the hell are bar codes for?" Kaiba said bluntly.

"Right? It makes our job so difficult, just for an aesthetic." The other female employee chimed in, "But Anne is_ great _at this, she's got the memory of a computer!"

"Yep." Anne said, staring at the screen, her eyes darting up and down the chart quickly, "I'm good with faces too. Take a look at that and see if I missed anything." she said, pointing at the screen in front of Kaiba. He leaned forward and scrolled through, nodding, satisfied.

"Right, your total today will be six thousand, four hundred and thirty-five dollars." She said firmly without blinking an eye.

Kaiba was starting to appreciate the way this woman was handling their transaction, "What's your educational background?" he asked, briefly considering hiring her on as his personal secondary record keeper. She looked up at him, stammering "Oh, well, ah, school wasn't really my thing, see, I didn't graduate high school."

Kaiba blinked, trying to hide his surprise and he smoothly her his credit card. "You're good with faces, you're good with numbers, have you considered working elsewhere?"

Anne slid his card absentmindedly, "Of course, who hasn't thought that." she said, looking over at her co-worker, who nodded in agreement. "But, this is what pays my bills. So I am stuck here." she said with a grimace.

Kaiba nodded gravely, "I'm sorry to hear that." he said, watching the loading bar on the screen, waiting for the transaction to clear.

"What about you? What do you do?" Anne asked him, tapping his card impatiently against the counter, briefly looking him up and down. "Are you a personal shopper? You kinda look like a student, no offense."

"No offense taken," Kaiba replied as the screen turned clear, indicating the transaction had gone through.

The women were staring at him quietly. "What?" Kaiba asked, looking at them feeling confused, and then he realize he hadn't answered their question.

"Oh. I am..." Kaiba faltered, glancing at his credit card in Anne's hand, his was name printed clearly across the sliver surface, but neither of them had bothered to check his ID before the purchases.

"Ahhh don't worry about it," Anne laughed lightly, her coworker nodding, quickly bagging several of the boxes in sleek, white shopping bags with thick ribbon handles. All of his purchases fit neatly into 5 large bags. It was quite manageable.

"I was going to say, I was hiring." Kaiba corrected himself, brushing his black hair out of his eyes.

The women paused and laughed together in unison, "Okay, what's the job? If it pays more than what we make here, maybe." the other employee said, tossing her hair suggestively. "We know we have other options. This is a notable European brand with high pay and awesome benefits."

"How much do you make?" Kaiba asked, unable to stop himself.

"As a manager, I make about $40 an hour." Anne said, glancing at her coworker. "And regular employees make about $20. That's including commissions we get from our sales. You helped us out here a lot today!"

Kaiba clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. _That's more than what I make at the fucking bakery! _he fumed privately.

Anne read his expression clearly and nodded, "Yea it's pretty good. Probably more than what you make as a personal shopper, no offense."

"I take great offense to that." Kaiba said roughly and the women giggled flirtatiously, thinking it was a joke.

"Thank you for coming! Here's your card back before I forget," Anne said coyly, sliding the card across the glass. "And come back anytime! I'll definitely remember you."

Kaiba picked up his credit card and slid it carefully back into his wallet. In a separate pocket, he pulled out his personal business card and placed it onto the glass. It was a sliver of crystal-clear acrylic, with his name and personal number embossed in a light, silver font.

"Call this number and schedule a meeting if you want to make upwards to _at least _$120 an hour, Anne." Kaiba said shortly, and he grabbed the bags swiftly by the handles and turned to leave.

He heard the women collectively gasp behind him and he smirked, continuing on his way out.

"Wait!" he heard Anne call out. "Are you joking? Is this a prank?!"

Kaiba turned around, the bags swinging agaisnt his long legs, "No, it isn't a prank."

The women exchanged hesitant looks, "Um, are you sure this is_ legal?_ Do you have Seto Kaiba's permission to hand out his business card to random strangers?!" Anne said, her voice rising shrilly. "I mean, if this was a way to get us to go on a date with you, we sure would! You don't need to do _this!_" she cried, sliding the card back across the counter at him.

"What?!" Kaiba asked, feeling impatient. But then he stopped, realizing, that he had once again forgotten what he looked like.

"Ah right.." Kaiba said, setting the bags down at the feet of the nearest mannequin and strode purposely back over to the glass counter.

"You know, ladies," Kaiba said smirking, "They say Seto Kaiba's a real asshole. If you call that number, I'll probably get fired, and then you can take my place."

The women looked at each other uncertainly. "We wouldn't want to do that to you.."

"Oh, I think you do." Kaiba said slyly, "A _personal shopper_ like myself, makes three times the amount the two of you make, _combined._ Call the number, help him out, he needs a secondary record keeper, Anne you seem like you could do the job well."

Anne narrowed her eyes at him and tucked her hair behind her ear, "But it's totally on _you_ if you get the fall for this."

"Yep." Kaiba said simply, folding his hands across his chest firmly, waiting for the phone to ring in his back pocket.

He watched as Anne reached under the counter and retrieved her phone. She squinted at the card, holding it up to the light and quickly tapped the number into the phone. She set the phone on the counter as the call button glowed green, brightly.

"And just so there's no confusion," Anne said, as the phone began to vibrate in Kaiba's back pocket, "I'll be putting this on speaker, if this is a joke, I'll call security on you."

"Suit yourself." Kaiba sneered, feeling his back pocket vibrate more heavily.

The women eyed him apprehensively and Anne hit the speaker button, the ringing sounded out through the store.

"He's not picking up." Anne said shrugging.

"He is now." Kaiba said, reaching into his pocket and he palmed his phone, bringing it quickly up to his ear. "And now he's speaking." he said, trying to repress a laugh, finding it amusing to refer to himself in third person.

The women threw him disgusted looks which quickly turned into horror when they looked down at the phone sitting on the counter, as the 'talk' button glowed back at them.

"Hello? Anyone there?" Kaiba said dully, "I'm going to hang up." His voice echoed back and forth on the speaker phone, and the women stared, their mouths hanging open.

Anne picked up her phone, slowly tapping the button deactivating speakerphone, and held it up to her ear with a trembling hand.

"Who is this." Kaiba demanded, shooting her an evil grin.

Anne's eyes widened considerably and she gripped the counter, steadying herself, "This is Anne?" she said, her eyes darting all around his face and looking frantically back to her co-worker.

"Are you asking me if your name is Anne?" Kaiba scoffed, "Get to the point."

Shocked, Anne's grip loosened on the phone, and it slipped from her ear a little.

"Oh my god is this real?!" her coworker asked, clearly shocked.

"Um...your personal shopper ...gave me your card and said you were hiring? So, hire me." Anne said, smiling nervously at Kaiba.

Kaiba smiled back, genuinely this time, "Tomorrow afternoon, I'll have you come in, take a typing test, along with a few other aptitude tests, and bring legal documents. The screening will include a background check."

"I...don't have any experience. What if I don't pass your tests?" Anna said nervously, the phone slipped lower on her chin as she continued to stare at him with disbelief.

"You don't need to worry too much about passing them. Not many people can." Kaiba said, hanging up the phone. "They're merely there to make sure you're a functioning human being. Don't be late. My secretary will be expecting you."

And with that, he turned around and gathered up his bags by the entrance where he'd left them, and he elbowed the door open. He turned to glance over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of the two women jumping up and down with excitement and hugging each other tightly.

Feeling his spirits lift a little, Kaiba made his way back to his car and carefully lowered the bags into his trunk. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine smoothly and quickly driving off.

His mind was blissfully blank throughout the entire drive. Kaiba pulled onto his property and carefully parked the car back into his private garage. He stepped out casually and glanced around the quiet room; his other cars gleamed back at him, as if taunting about him something.

He suddenly realized he hadn't texted Mokuba to check if he was home before entering the house. Pulling out his phone, Kaiba quickly tapped out a message," Where are you right now?"

After a moment, his phone screen glowed with Mokuba's response "I'm in my room, reading. Are you coming home?"

"Soon." Kaiba replied and clicked his phone shut and deciding it'd be better to sneak in.

Leaving the purchases in the trunk of the car, Kaiba quickly exited the garage and headed upstairs cautiously, listening for any sound coming out of Mokuba's room. Stepping carefully up the grand staircase leading up to their rooms, Kaiba saw Mokuba's door, wide open.

He stood at the top of the stairs, staring down the hallway, considering his options.

_Shit_, Kaiba cursed, _I hope he doesn't see me. _

Kaiba eyed the door to his room, which was closed, and locked. Kaiba cursed himself for his habits, glaring at the grey plastic sensor next to the door frame, which glowed red. He reached into his wallet and fished out his key card, gripping it tightly. He would have to unlock the door with only have a few seconds to spare, in case Mokuba decided to poke his head out to check and see if it was him. And that would be bad. He would be seen, looking like a stranger trying to break-in.

Kaiba held his breath and walked quietly right up to the edge of Mokuba's door, taking one long, deliberate step, he passed across the opening quickly and dashed towards his door. He heard the rustle of Mokuba placing his book down and he tensed up, trying to stay calm, he slapped his card agaisnt the reader. He heard the lock click just as Mokuba's footsteps came thumping across the floor. In full panic, Kaiba gripped the doorknob and turned it forcefully, pushing his door open a slight crack, attempting to slide in quietly, he stuck a foot into his room just as he heard Mokuba's gasp behind him.

_Well...shit! _Kaiba felt the sweat from his palms cause his fingers to slip dreadfully on the doorknob.

"S-SETO?!" Mokuba cried, bringing his fists up to his eyes and rubbing them, hard. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and opened them again, staring at the back of a man who was dressed in a light grey t-shirt and dark jeans, with a head of black hair, and was very similar in height to his brother. The stranger was was standing, unmoving, at the opening of Seto's room, one foot in the doorway.

Kaiba heard Mokuba call his name and he didn't turn around. His mind was too busy racing for a story, an excuse, a truth, a lie, anything believable.

Mokuba glanced at the lock and noticed it had turned green.

_That means ...either this is Seto, or this is someone who took Seto's key card!_ Mokuba realized, fear coursing through his body. He clenched his fist and slipped his hand into his pocket, resting his finger on the emergency button on his phone, and he stepped hesitantly out of his room facing the stranger bravely.

"Turn around!" Mokuba yelled, his voice cracking with hesitation.

Accepting the fact that he was going to have to thoroughly explain himself, Kaiba released the doorknob and flexed his fingers painfully, "It's me, Mokuba. Go back to your book." He turned around very slowly and felt the weight of the door close behind him, the door locked again with a click. Kaiba stood before Mokuba, who was staring at him with a slight mixture of surprise and curiosity.

Mokuba blinked, confused. The stranger sounded exactly like Seto but he looked exactly like..._the new guy from Yugi's group of friends. _

"Seto? Is that really you?" Mokuba asked, his hand gripped his phone even tighter, his uncertainty rising.

"Yes, it's me Mokuba." Kaiba repeated, feeling impatient. "I'm going to take a quick shower, and we'll talk."

Mokuba shook his head, and pulled his phone out of his pocket, holding it threateningly in front of him, "Prove that you're Seto!"

"I will look more like myself once I rinse this stuff off." Kaiba said gently, bending down on one knee and holding his arms out reassuringly, "Come, give me a hug."

Mokuba stood very still, feeling conflicted. "Wh-What's for dinner?" he asked lamely.

Kaiba smiled, "I'll make your favorite bacon and potato salad sandwiches, and I'll even make some dessert."

Upon hearing that, Mokuba approached his older brother carefully, and Kaiba pulled him into a tight embrace. Mokuba blinked agaisnt the softness of Seto's t-shirt, a strange, unfamiliar feeling, but the weight of Seto's arms wrapping around him warmly, was familiar.

"It really is you..." Mokuba mumbled into his shirt.

Kaiba let out a deep laugh, and Mokuba gripped his shirt tightly. It had been a while since he had heard Seto laugh genuinely.

"Did something good happen?" Mokuba asked tentatively as Seto released him gently.

"You could say that," Kaiba replied, smiling.

Mokuba stared and stared at his brother, trying to stamp every detail of Seto's smile into his memory. He nodded wordlessly and watched as his older brother stood and tapped the key card agaisnt the reader.

It beeped green and Kaiba pushed the door open widely, propping it open. He turned to Mokuba and said, "You can bring your book and read in here while I change. Go ahead, sit on the couch and wait."

Mokuba nodded again as his brother hurried into the bathroom and closed the door softly behind him. Mokuba stared at the door, unable to believe what had just happened. The sound of running water shocked him back to his senses, and Mokuba ran into his room to grab his book. He dashed back into Seto's room and made himself comfortable on the lounge in front of Kaiba's large desk.

Mokuba propped his feet up on the couch and flipped his book open, but the words were sliding off the page as his thoughts were straying. _Seto looks just like that new friend who showed up at Yugi's house! _he thought, _was that just a coincidence? _

He heard a phone buzz agaisnt the desk and he hopped off the couch to investigate. Mokuba cautiously touched the phone, and the screen glowed brightly at him-it was the unlabeled number again.

_Seto's girlfriend!_ Mokuba thought excitedly, remembering the password, he skillfully unlocked the phone.

"Come visit me tomorrow?" the text read.

Mokuba's eyes widened and he set the phone down quickly as he heard the water shut off. He ran back to the couch and resumed his reading position as innocently as possible.

Kaiba came out of the bathroom, ruffling his light brown hair into a towel, wearing his usual black turtleneck paired with a set of dark trousers.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried, sitting up suddenly, "Your phone was buzzing!"

"Was it?" Kaiba replied absentmindedly, picking up his phone, reading the message without blinking, and then setting his phone down casually again.

"Who was it?" Mokuba asked slyly, fishing for information, "And why were you wearing those clothes? Why did you dye your hair?!"

"I went out for a little shopping trip, and I didn't want anyone to recognize me." Kaiba replied cleverly dodging Mokuba's questions.

"You...went shopping?!" Mokuba asked incredulously. "What did you buy?"

"I'll show you," Kaiba replied heartily, holding out his hand, "Let's go downstairs. Hungry?"

"Yes!" Mokuba said happily, grabbing his book running up to his brother, holding his hand tightly, "Did you go with anyone?"

Kaiba led Mokuba down the stairs, chuckling lightly, "Maybe I did." he said vaguely. They entered the kitchen and Mokuba climbed up onto a bar stool facing a kitchen island, placing his book in front of him. "So it was a date?" Mokuba asked perceptively.

Kaiba ruffled Mokuba's hair playfully, "Keep your nosy questions to yourself." he said and he exited the kitchen, down a flight of stairs towards the garage.

Mokuba heard the tapping of Seto's footsteps fade away and he smiled to himself. That answer basically meant "yes". He heard the a car alarm beep and a door slam. Seto reappeared in the kitchen, carrying several large bags.

"Whoa!" Mokuba cried, surprised, "What's in there?"

"Something for you," Kaiba said, smiling again. Mokuba blinked, taken aback by all the sudden smiles he was receiving from his older brother. He swiveled around on his bar stool, watching Seto carefully set each box aside on the a coffee table nearby, opening them up one by one.

Kaiba quickly found the vest he had purchased and held it out to Mokuba, "Here, try it on."

_Clothes?! _Mokuba thought awestruck, hopping off the bar stool, _Seto usually never buys stuff like this!_

Mokuba slipped his arms through the vest as Seto held it up for him, feeling like he was 5 years old all over again, when Seto used to help him get ready in the mornings at the orphanage. He felt the vest settle comfortably on his shoulders, and his face grew hot, his eyes welling up with tears, blurring his vision. The vest fit perfectly, it was so soft, very warm and comfortable, with a little room to grow. It was similar enough to the other ones he owned, he could easily pair it with anything.

He glanced up at his big brother, who was admiring him from afar, head tilted to the side thoughtfully, "Hey not bad!" Seto said, with a pleased laugh.

Mokuba blinked, watching his older brother smile and laugh again, made him feel as though he was living in a familiar dream.

"Do you like it?" Kaiba asked him, pulling his brother in a light hug.

Mokuba blinked, feeling Seto's warmth enveloping him comfortably, as a single tear dripped down his face, "I love it," he choked.

Kaiba bent down on one knee and brushed the tear off of Mokuba's face. "What's wrong kiddo?" he asked softly, gently tugging strands the long hair out of Mokuba's face.

_Why is everyone crying today?_ he thought to himself faintly._ First Yami, and now Mokuba. _

"Nothing, Seto, I just really like it. Thank you!" Mokuba cried, throwing his arms around Kaiba's neck, embracing him tightly.

"Glad you do," Kaiba said, relieved, "Now let's get some food in you. Wanna take that off?"

"No, I'm gonna wear it now, until forever!" Mokuba insisted, his grip tightening around Kaiba's neck.

"Okay." Kaiba said, chuckling and picking Mokuba up, gently placing him back on the bar stool.

Mokuba watched Seto's back as he rummaged around the refrigerator, pulling out potatoes, bacon and butter. He looked down and picked up his book, opening it carelessly, letting the sides flop down on the counter. _If Seto is in such a good mood, maybe he'll say yes to go-karting with Yugi this weekend_, Mokuba thought secretly, as he watched his brother skillfully skin the potatoes.

"Seto?" Mokuba spoke up cautiously, "So ...about go-karting with Yugi this weekend...can I go?"

Kaiba frowned, placing a pot onto the stove and quickly throwing the potatoes in, "What's the occasion?"

"Um...I dunno, fun?" Mokuba furrowed his brow, confused. _Did there need to be an occasion for going out with friends?_

"When and where?" Kaiba asked, pulling out pudding mix from the pantry, opening several packs into a large bowl.

"I didn't ask," Mokuba said quickly, "Cuz I didn't think you'd say yes."

"Well," Kaiba hummed, "If you do somehow manage to read ten books by this weekend, then you may go." he quickly whisked milk and cream into the power, turning it a sandy white.

"Really?!" Mokuba asked hopefully, "Then I'll definitely try!"

Kaiba nodded, distracted, digging around for graham crackers. He found them quickly and slid a few stacks into a plastic bag and pulled out a rolling pin. "Mokuba, come crush these into crumbs," he said, turning around to attend to the potatoes which were still boiling merrily in the pot.

"Okay!" Mokuba exclaimed, "Are you making pudding?! Cheesecake?!"

"Parfait," Kaiba said with a small smile, as Mokuba grabbed the rolling pin excitedly from his grasp and started smashing the crackers enthusiastically. The crunching sound echoed pleasantly throughout the kitchen, meshing nicely with the clacking of Kaiba's light chopping of vegetables.

Mokuba was in mid-smash when he heard his phone ring loudly in his pocket. Setting down the rolling pin, grabbed his phone and looked at the screen. It was from the Kame Game Shop.

"Hi Yugi!" Mokuba answered excitedly.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, "Not...Yugi." A deep voice replied awkwardly.

Mokuba felt his stomach flutter nervously, "Oh! Ah, sorry, Yami!" he corrected himself.

Kaiba froze in mid-chop, and he eyed Mokuba carefully. _What the hell was Yami doing, calling his little brother? _The pot was bubbling, and Kaiba quickly hurried to the stove with a a fork in hand, and began carefully breaking the potato up into smaller pieces.

"Will your brother be available tonight? There's something I'd like to discuss with him." Yami said carefully.

"Um..." Mokuba glanced over at Seto, who was slowly mashing the potatoes with a stoic look on his face, "He's here now, do you wanna talk with him?"

Kaiba paused in his actions again, feeling dread creep up slowly around him. _What the hell?!_

"I think this would be better in person." Yami said quickly hoping to avoid all confrontation.

"I mean, you can ask him when he's free. Cuz I dunno how much stuff he has to left to do tonight." Mokuba said, clarifying.

"Ah..I see..well, I..." Yami stammered.

"Give me the phone Mokuba," Kaiba growled, setting the fork down suddenly, and he lifted the phone out of Mokuba's grasp.

"What." he said furiously into the receiver.

Mokuba frowned and turned around to stare at his half-mashed cracker crumbs, moodily stabbing his finger into the bag._ Seto immediately went from happy to angry in a second, and it's all Yami's fault_, Mokuba thought, upset. _And now Seto's gonna be mad about it all through dinner. _

"Kaiba...?" Yami asked, caught off guard.

"Yea it's me, what do you want." he growled, watching Mokuba poke at the bag of crumbs.

"I wanted to discuss...I wanted to know if you're free tonight." Yami said nervously.

"I heard that already." Kaiba replied impatiently, "What do you want to discuss?"

"May I do this in person?" Yami asked quietly, regretting the call more and more.

Kaiba took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Okay." He glanced at the clock and realized it was quite late. "Have you eaten?" he asked without thinking.

Mokuba turned to look at him incredulously.

"Wh-what?" Yami said, not quite believing his ears.

"Have you. had dinner." Kaiba enunciated, clenching his teeth.

Yami blinked, his chest tightened, "I haven't yet..."

"Then I'll send a car over now." Kaiba said, quickly hanging up the phone. He texted Isono and he placed Mokuba's phone down on the counter. He sighed, and looked down at his brother who was staring at him strangely.

"Did you just invite him to have dinner with us?" Mokuba asked hopefully.

"Yea, I did, want me to un-invite him?" Kaiba responded coldly.

"No!" Mokuba cried, "That's fine! I like Yami!"

"Good." Kaiba said shortly, turning back to fold a few pats of butter into the mashed potatoes.

"Um, Seto, _why_ did you invite him?" Mokuba asked tentatively.

"Because he hadn't eaten yet." Kaiba responded, quickly sprinkling handfuls of bacon, chives, garlic, and parsley into the mix. He set the pot aside and threw the chopped vegetables into a pan, soaking them generously in chicken stock.

Mokuba was staring at his brother in disbelief, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"It's late, and he was coming over anyway." Kaiba said added, watching the vegetables simmer in the pan, a savory aroma was slowly filling the room. "Keep rolling, Mokuba, I need those crumbs soon."

Mokuba picked up the rolling pin and tapped it agaisnt the crackers, watching as more crumbs formed. He kept glancing over at Seto, wondering what had gotten into him. But the fact that he wasn't angry about Yami calling them in the middle of dinner was a good sign? Mokuba shook his head and beat the bag of crumbs vigorously.

_Whatever the source of Seto's good mood may be, I'm not gonna ruin it_. _I'll just enjoy it for as long as I can now_, Mokuba thought furtively. _Seto's rarely smiles, but now, his smiles a lot! He hugs me more, and even laughs._

Mokuba picked up the bag, shaking it, making sure everything had crumbled. "Done!" he said brightly, showing the bag off proudly.

"Good job," Kaiba praised, leaning down and kissing Mokuba's forehead quickly before taking the bag from his hands. Mokuba felt the tears slowly creep around the corners of his eyes, and he closed his eyes tightly, willing himself not to cry. "Anything else Seto?" he said happily, as Kaiba stirred the vegetables around in the pan.

"Hold on Mokuba," Kaiba said, and he reached into the shelves, grabbing a set of short wine glasses. "Wash your hands, and sprinkle the bottoms of these with crumbs. And here, pack it down with a spoon." he said, quickly handing his little brother a spoon.

"Kay!" Mokuba said, rushing to the sink and running the water over his hands. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Mokuba looked up excitedly, "Is that..?!"

Kaiba nodded silently and flipped the vegetables quickly onto a large plate. Grabbing a kitchen towel, he wiped his hands on it, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. He flung the towel over his shoulder out of habit and quickly walked into the main hallway to answer the door.

He pulled the door open and Yami was standing apprehensively before him, dressed in a simple, black hoodie and his usual leather pants, with his matching belts slung low on his hips. Kaiba tilted his head slightly, appreciating the change.

"Come in." He said, opening the door wider, stepping aside.

Yami swallowed dryly, his eyes slowly traveled up and down Kaiba's tall frame. A dishtowel was hanging casually off his shoulder, his black turtleneck hugged his muscular frame enticingly.

Yami carefully stepped inside, Kaiba tried not to react as Yami's spiky hair passed across his face, and images from their afternoon together flashed quickly before his eyes.

Yami stood there awkwardly as Kaiba shut the door behind him.

"This way," Kaiba said, striding past him and back into the kitchen, where Mokuba was almost finished packing the graham crumbs into the wine glasses.

"Hi Yami!" Mokuba said brightly, waving a crumb-covered spoon at him.

"Hello..." Yami said, blinking widly, taking in his surroundings. The kitchen was brightly lit, surrounded by tall cabinets and a sleek kitchen island was placed tastefully in the center, with several tall bar stools sitting tight agaisnt the sides. A delicious smell hung in the air, and something was sizzling on the stove.

"Sit." Kaiba said, turning around to mind the stove, picking up the boiled pot of mashed potatoes and shutting off the heat.

Yami cautiously sat himself down on a bar stool and watched the scene before him with interest. Mokuba was holding a wine glass in his tiny hands, packing brown crumbs at the bottom with a small spoon. Kaiba was facing away from him, with three plates set before him, spooning portions of food onto them. Two large slabs of meat were sizzling in the far back of the stove, and Yami watched as Kaiba added more broth to the mixture, stirring slowly.

"Done!" Mokuba cried, arranging the glasses neatly before him, looking at Seto for his approval.

Kaiba turned around and inspected the glasses, "Pretty good!" he said, passing by Mokuba to access the pantry again. "Last thing, shave these chocolates into a little bowl." He tossed a bag of chocolate truffles onto the counter and rummaged around for the grater.

"Okay!" Mokuba said brightly, eagerly opening the bag of chocolates with a _pop! _

"Careful with the grater, watch your fingers, okay?" Kaiba said, running his fingers over the edges.

"I know how to use a grater," Mokuba grumbled, grabbing it out of his brother's hand and hovered over the bag of chocolates, emptying them out onto the counter messily.

Kaiba looked over to Yami who was sitting pensively at the counter, watching them. He realized he'd forgotten his basic manners as a host. Walking over to the refrigerator, he yanked the door open and hummed thoughtfully, looking for a wine that would pair well with the meaty gravy.

He chose a powerful Italian wine and he placed it on the counter, popping the cork expertly with the back end of a vegetable knife.

Yami's eyes widened, watching Kaiba's slender fingers grip the neck of the wine bottle, as the cork went flying. It hit the edge of a nearby kettle with a loud _clang! _

"Nice shot," Mokuba commented, grinning. "10 points!"

"Thanks," Kaiba laughed, bending down to pick the cork up off the ground. "10 points if you can get this in the trash from where you're standing now."

"Ha!" Mokuba smirked, grabbing the cork from Seto's hand, "Easy."

Kaiba walked over and placed his foot on the lever of a sleek, silver garbage bin, holding it open, "Shoot." he said, a smile curving at the corners of his lips.

Yami's mouth fell open slightly as he watched, glancing nervously between the Kaiba brothers, unsure of what to think.

"He shoots...!" Mokuba cried, throwing the cork with all his might, aiming for the lid of the bin. It hit the back edge of the bin with soft clunk and fell neatly into the opening, "He scores!" Mokuba crowed triumphantly, punching the air.

Kaiba laughed a full laugh, throwing his head back, one hand on his hip, the other hand on his forehead, keeping the hair out of his eyes. Mokuba laughed along merrily, elated.

Yami was thunderstruck,_ what was going on?!_

The stove began to sizzle and again and Kaiba composed himself, rushing to turn the heat down, stirring solidly. _The consistency is still a little runny,_ Kaiba thought uncertainly, dripping the gravy off the ladle,_ I'll leave it on for a bit more._

He reached up to grab two wine glasses and he set them carefully on the counter, evenly pouring out a glass for Yami and himself. He pushed the drink across the counter towards Yami, and he stared down into his own glass. Swirling the liquid around the bottom, he inhaled, enjoying the woody aroma, knowing for a fact that Yami probably wouldn't like this flavor.

"Try it." he said, looking at Yami over the top of his wine.

Yami stared into Kaiba's icy blue eyes, and back down at his glass of wine, "Must I?" he said doubtfully.

Kaiba turned around to face the stove again and shrugged nonchalantly, "Whatever. More for me." he said, and he checked the gravy again. It looked much better, much thicker.

Mokuba watched Seto carefully, curious, but thankful he didn't get angry over the fact that Yami didn't want to try the wine. He looked down at his pile of chocolate shavings, some were starting to melt into the edges of the bowl. "Seto! Is this enough?" Mokuba asked anxiously, "They're melting!"

Kaiba was balancing a hot pan in one hand and a plate in another. He peered over Mokuba's shoulder and nodded, "That's about enough. We can always make more later. Throw it all in the fridge, along with that bowl." Kaiba tilted his head over to the mixture he had made earlier.

"Mmkay." Mokuba complied, his hands wrapping around the large bowl. He carried it unsteadily over towards the refrigerator and Yami roused himself to help.

"Ah, Thanks!" Mokuba said happily as Yami stood by, holding the refrigerator door open for him. Mokuba leaned in and set the bowl down onto the lowest shelf he could reach, and he hurried back to fetch the wine glasses full of crumbs.

"There's no room...!" Mokuba cried, dismayed, staring at the shelves and back into the wine glasses in his arms.

"We'll make room," Yami said gently, bending down to help re-arrange several items to make room for the wine glasses. He could feel Mokuba smiling at him as he picked up several heads of lettuce, placing them into the lower bins.

This felt so surreal, he was in Kaiba's home, re-arranging food in his refrigerator. The sheer absurdity of that thought made Yami hesitate, unsure if he should continue.

"Ooo take out those tomatoes!" Mokuba pointed, the wine glasses slipping in his arms slightly, "And the cheese."

Yami nodded and complied, gathering a few tomatoes and grabbing the stack of cheese, tucking it under his arm, he helped Mokuba slide the wine glasses onto the now-empty shelf.

"Thanks Yami! I got it from here!" Mokuba said smiling at him.

"And hand me those tomatoes." Kaiba said, looking over his shoulder. "If you saw lettuce, I need those too."

Yami blinked and nodded silently again, reaching around Mokuba to access the bin where he had placed the lettuce. He walked carefully over towards Kaiba and placed all the ingredients on the counter beside the vegetable knife.

"Thanks," Kaiba said absentmindedly, slowly pouring the gravy out into a medium glass bowl.

"You're welcome." Yami replied numbly and he went back to his seat.

_I'm living in a weird dream_, Yami thought, watching Mokuba wipe the counter, cleaning the crumbs and chocolate off. The scene before him looked so unreal, staged even. Kaiba was busy washing the lettuce and cutting tomatoes. Several slices of bread were toasting merrily in a large oven, the warm smell mixing in with the meaty gravy was making his mouth water.

Yami sobered up when he remembered the real purpose of his visit.

_I'm going to tell Kaiba how I feel_, Yami thought darkly. _He may kick me out mid-conversation, but I won't leave until he hears all of it._

Plates clinked pleasantly as Kaiba set large scoops of mashed potatoes neatly alongside the mix of vegetables. He separated each vegetable carefully, arranging them aesthetically onto the plate, adding chunks of meat from the gravy artfully on top. The oven sounded, and he quickly pulled out the bread, placing it on the counter, facing Yami.

Mokuba had climbed back into his seat beside Yami, intently reading his book. Yami was watching him carefully with a look of great interest. Kaiba ducked his head down and smirked, sliding out a bread knife and carefully measuring out the thickness of each slice, aware that Yami was watching his every move.

He plated them cleanly on three separate dishes, alongside the carefully arranges mashed potatoes and vegetables. Kaiba slid a slice of cheese atop each piece of bread, quickly adding on a few leaves of lettuce and a thick slice of tomato.

Yami couldn't tear his eyes away from Kaiba's hands as he watched him plate each ingredient with accuracy. Kaiba's eyes were covered by the tips of his light brown hair, as he leaned forward over the plates, meticulously stacking ingredients onto the bread. Yami shook his head slightly and looked over at Mokuba, who was still resolutely reading his book.

"Mokuba, put the book away. Time to eat." Kaiba said, straightening up and pouring himself another glass of wine with a flourish.

"Finally!" Mokuba said loudly, slapping his book shut and pushing it aside. Kaiba slid a beautifully stacked plate over to his younger brother across the counter and handed him a fork.

"Thanks Seto! This looks and smells amazing!" Mokuba cried, overjoyed. Kaiba nodded and slid a plate across the counter towards Yami, and handed him a fork too. Yami reached out and took it, nodding seriously in thanks. Kaiba cocked his head to one side, wondering what was making Yami act so strangely. Deciding he'd think about it later, Kaiba grabbed the last plate and pushed the stack of bread aside, resolving to stand across from them while they ate, to better observe Yami's actions.

"You wanna sit, Seto?" Mokuba asked, spreading the mashed potatoes onto the bread thickly.

"I've been sitting all day," Kaiba lied, stabbing his fork into a chunk of meat and twirling it absently, watching the sauce run off of it.

"Oh right," Mokuba nodded and he turned to address Yami who was staring anxiously at his plate, "You can dip the bread into the mashed potato if you don't wanna make it into a sandwich like I'm doing!"

"Eat it however you want," Kaiba scoffed, "It's just food."

Yami nodded and stuck his fork curiously into the stack of mashed potato. Everything smelled and looked extremely mouthwatering. He placed the fork in his mouth and was blown away by the flavor. Sure it was just a mashed potato, but the kick of garlic with the sweet roundness of the butter at the end of his tongue made him crave more. Picking up his bread, Yami took a small bite and stuffed a forkful of mashed potatoes together, into his mouth. Pleased with the texture of the toasted bread, along with the savory mashed potato, he was enjoying the meal immensely. He smiled in spite of himself and looked towards Kaiba, who was standing casually before him, leaning against the counter, thoughtfully chewing.

Suddenly, Kaiba tilted his head and their eyes met briefly.

Yami felt himself blush and he quickly looked down at his plate, heat from his face spreading down his neck and arms, causing his palms to sweat uncomfortably.

Kaiba noticed this and smirked, thinking perhaps, they should dine together more often.

"More pleash!" Mokuba said with his mouth ful, holding his plate up with both hands. It had been scraped clean.

Nodding, Kaiba set his fork down and grabbed the plate from his little brother, turning around to add more mashed potatoes, meat and vegetables. "More bread?" Kaiba called over his shoulder.

"No thanks!" Mokuba called back. "Can I have a soda?"

Kaiba glanced at the clock-8:30pm, it was really getting late. "No," he said sternly, "Water or milk, those are your options."

"Awhhhh.." Mokuba grumbled, "Fine I'll have milk."

Kaiba nodded and slid the plate across the counter, heading over to the fridge. He glanced over at Yami who had not touched his wine. Sighing, he grabbed the milk, along with the pitcher of water as well. Placing the jugs of liquid onto the counter he whipped out two glasses and poured Mokuba a glass of milk in one, and water for Yami in the other.

"Thanks big bro," Mokuba said, grabbing the milk and taking a huge gulp.

Yami eyed the glass of water, his eyes traveling back and forth between it and the wine glass. Kaiba watched as Yami slowly curled his fingers around the stem of the glass, taking a tentative sip.

Yami felt the cool liquid touch his lips pool around his tongue. The wine slid easily down his throat, leaving a thin, bittersweet aftertaste. He sipped it again, noting that the bitterness went well alongside the roundness of the butter in the meat and potatoes. He had to hand it to Kaiba, the man knew how to cook a good meal and pair his wines.

Pleased, Kaiba glanced over at Yami's glass, realizing it was empty, he reached for the bottle, rounding off his second glass quickly, considering a third. Kaiba slid the glass across the counter towards Yami once again, the liquid sloshing around the bottom merrily.

He raised his glass towards Yami in a slight toast, and nodded at him, staring deep into his violet eyes. Yami froze, his fingers tightening around the stem of his wine glass, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He blinked and slowly raised his glass to his lips, without breaking eye contact with Kaiba, he took a sip. He thought he saw a smile curve a the corners of Kaiba's lips.

Mokuba sat back in his seat, pleasantly stuffed. He stretched his arms up, yawning loudly, looking back and forth between Seto and Yami. They both had empty plates before them, and were pleasantly sipping wine, gazing at each other with strange expressions. What's more, the atmosphere was warm and friendly.

Mokuba put his arms down quickly and grabbed his book, hopping off the bar stool, "I'm sleepy, Seto."

Kaiba set his glass down and picked up their empty plates, "Take a bath, get ready for bed. Come get me, and I'll tuck you in."

"No thanks," Mokuba said slyly, "I don't wanna bother you!" And with that, he rushed up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door loudly behind him. Suddenly, he realized Seto had left his phone on the counter after the call with Yami. He threw his book on his bed and slowly creaked the handle of the door open. He heard Seto yell after him. "I'll be coming up to check you on, regardless!"and Mokuba stayed quiet. Slowly pulling the door back, trying to hear the rest of the conversation happening downstairs.

Kaiba sighed and set the plates in the sink carefully, running water across them lightly.

There was no response from Mokuba.

Kaiba looked over his shoulder at Yami who was thumbing the stem of his wine glass thoughtfully with his slender fingers, and he felt his stomach flutter nervously.

There was a long silence as Yami sat apprehensively at the counter, watching Kaiba busy himself with the dishes. It was strange and disarming to see Kaiba out of his element, Yami mused. They usually met in his office, with a large desk separating them, or on dueling grounds, where they stood several yards apart at all times.

Kaiba stacked the clean dishes together on a rack and turned around to face Yami, wringing his hands in the kitchen towel, trying to disguise his anxiety. Yami spun the wine glass absently, watching the remaining portion of wine slide up and down agaisnt the edge of the glass, unsure of how to begin the conversation.

Kaiba folded his arms across his chest and spoke, "So, what did you want to discuss?"

Yami stopped twirling the glass. He aimed his gaze down onto the granite counter and folded his hands nervously in his lap. "I'm going to tell you something, Kaiba, and I need you to take me seriously." he said slowly.

Kaiba leaned agaisnt the counter, resisting the urge to reach out and touch Yami, "I'm listening."

"Do you care for me?" Yami asked suddenly, sitting very still, his gaze resolutely fixed downwards.

"What?" Kaiba frowned, unsure if he heard correctly.

"I need you to tell me, that you don't care for me, in any way." Yami said blandly, his arms tensing at his sides.

Kaiba unfolded his arms and gripped the counter, his head spinning.

"And why, exactly do you want to hear this from me?" Kaiba asked faintly. The image of Yami sitting before him on the counter began to blur. He flashed back to the memory from a few days ago, where he was dressed as Hiro, sitting in front of with Yami on the bench near the bakery, listening to him confess about having fancied him for years.

Kaiba felt a monstrous rage beginning to boil underneath his skin. He knew exactly why Yami wanted to hear this.

"Because it's true, isn't it?" Yami asked, almost sounding hopeful, pressing his thumbs together nervously in his lap, feeling himself grow hot.

"Answer my question first." Kaiba growled, pressing his palms down onto the counter, hovering threateningly before Yami.

Yami swayed in his seat slightly, "There's someone I like..."

Kaiba clenched his fists, feeling the cold granite graze his knuckles, "Really now," he said sarcastically.

"...And I want to be with him." Yami continued, swallowing dryly.

_Is he talking about me?_ Kaiba thought carefully, his blood coursing loudly in his ears.

"Then do that." Kaiba scoffed, tossing his hair out of his eyes, "What does that have to do with me?"

Yami shook in his seat, as a cold sweat travel down his back. "Kaiba, do you like women?" he asked, nervously biting his lip.

Kaiba glared at Yami, watching Yami's teeth sit tightly against the plumpness of his lips. Kaiba turned his head away quickly, feeling the blood rush to his head._ Ha_, he thought spitefully to himself, _women? If I do like women, it's too late to find out now, isn't it?_

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Kaiba asked, shaking his head slowly, suddenly dreading Yami's answer.

"It will give me peace of mind!" Yami fumed, meeting Kaiba's gaze for the first time. Kaiba watched Yami glare at him and he noticed wetness beginning to gather at the corners of Yami's large, violet eyes.

"I don't understand." Kaiba lied dully, quietly pushing for the answer he wanted to hear.

"Kaiba, can you just answer my question?" Yami asked desperately, feeling a sharp pain throb agaisnt the front of his mind.

"We're talking in circles, "Kaiba growled, "You can start making sense by answering _my_ questions, or get out."

Yami nodded. _  
There it is_, Yami thought darkly, _he's telling me to get out, once again._

They stared at each other for another long moment. Yami felt himself tremble with effort, trying to keep himself composed.

Kaiba watched Yami's bottom lip quiver slightly, knowing that Yami was very close to breaking.

_Fine,_ Yami thought, taking a deep breath, _I'm going about this the wrong way. _

"Kaiba," Yami started, "I would like you to know, that I greatly admire your work ethic and your intelligence."

"Ah compliments," Kaiba smirked, feeling his chest tighten nervously again, "How nice. Tell me something I don't already know about myself."

Yami clenched his fist, now he was starting to feel angry. Kaiba was mocking him. This was going to be a humiliating experience one way or another. Yami dipped his head down, his shoulders sagging, doubting himself.

_Perhaps, this conversation isn't worth having_, Yami thought despondently. The way Kaiba was treating him now clearly already gave him the answer he needed.

Yami made a movement to slide off the bar stool, "I'm leaving." he said darkly.

"No you're not." Kaiba said shortly. "Not until you tell me what the hell you're talking about."

Yami's feet touched the ground and he felt dizzy, unsure if it was from the wine or if it was from distress. Kaiba noticed Yami sway uncertainly, and he rushed over to steady him, gripping him tightly by the shoulders.

Yami's breath hitched in his throat as Kaiba gripped him firmly. He twisted himself away, backing agaisnt the bar stool, "Don't touch me." Yami said angrily, hugging himself defensively.

Kaiba froze, feeling as though a shard of ice had been shot through his chest. "Right." he said coolly, folding his arms across his chest.

Yami felt the room spin as he looked down at his shoes, his back leaning painfully agaisnt the edge of the bar seat. He realized he was trapped. _I can't walk home like this, I need Kaiba's driver to take me back to the game shop. And for that to happen..._, Yami glanced upwards at Kaiba, who was standing there imposingly before him, with his arms tightly crossed.

_I would have to give him satisfying answers. _Yami thought regrettably.

Throwing caution to wind, Yami spoke, keeping his gaze fixed firmly over Kaiba's shoulder, "His name is Hiro."

Yami saw Kaiba tense visibly, his mouth set in a tight line.

"Who is he and why should I care?" Kaiba asked numbly, blinking rapidly.

"I like him. But at the same time... I can't." Yami said, feeling angry again. "because he reminds me of you."

Kaiba paled and his eyes widened, "Do want to know why?" he asked slowly, watching Yami's reaction carefully._ Because we're the same person_, Kaiba thought furiously, clenching his teeth.

"Of course I know why." Yami fumed, "But he is a better person than you will ever be, on any given day."

Kaiba felt himself stop in mid-breath. This was backfiring horribly. "What?" he spat, feeling his face heat up with emotion.

"That's right," Yami said furiously, more to himself, "He's nothing like you, I realize that now."

Kaiba felt a venomous rage course through his veins, "So you're here, to rub this in my face. You're here to dismiss me, because you don't want to give _me_ a chance."

Yami blinked, taken aback at the statement, "I...what?" he stammered. "I never had a chance with you!" Yami exclaimed, a large rock of guilt and anger was sitting uncomfortably in his stomach.

Kaiba eyed him coldly, "You do now."

Yami felt his heart stop, and his vision began to blur. _Was any of this real?_

"Do I...?" Yami asked faintly, still looking over Kaiba's shoulder.

Kaiba smirked and and leaned his hip against the wall, bracing the counter, "Yes."

Yami blinked and blinked, not really seeing anything, his thoughts racing. Kaiba was standing before him, offering...something he'd been wanting for a long time and yet, something still didn't feel right.

Yami felt a painful tugging in his chest as he whispered, "But ...I think...it's too late."

Kaiba turned his head slowly in disbelief, his ears ringing loudly, "Why?!" he hissed, glaring at Yami, who was looking resolutely away from him.

"Because I've found someone better." Yami said bleakly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

Kaiba could not believe what he was seeing or hearing. "Have you really?!" he said sarcastically, his rage getting the better of him, "What does this guy have, that I don't have?!" Kaiba paused, watching Yami carefully, "Actually, other way around." he said arrogantly, "I have everything, I _can have _everything. What can he do for you?"

Yami blinked, feeling strangely hollow, "He's compassionate. He put others before him. He works hard, and he treats me kindly."

Kaiba was finding it difficult to breathe, "Right, right," he repeated mindlessly, "And you think I can't behave that way?"

"You _don't_ behave that way." Yami said bluntly. "From the years I've known you, you've been an abrasive, rash and selfish individual, save for a few times we actually seriously needed your help."

Kaiba felt giddy and delirious. He brought a hand up across his face, covering his eyes, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Suddenly, he couldn't stop laughing, he clutched his sides as let out laugh after rolling laugh. The situation was so terribly simple, but Yami was insisting on making it difficult. Kaiba bent over, gasping for breath. _Either way, I win,_ he thought evilly, _I am Hiro, and I am Kaiba. _

Kaiba drew in another shaking breath, trying to restrain another bout of laughter. _It doesn't matter who he chooses to be with, because both men are me! _

Yami was unnerved, "Kaiba, if you're finished, I'd like to leave."

Kaiba straighten up and composed himself, smirking, "Yami, you should reconsider." He took one large step and closed the distance between them suddenly, his tall figure looming over Yami's thin frame.

Yami faltered, watching as Kaiba's feet were standing so close, they almost touched his shoes, "I've-...I've made my decision." he said, staring down at their feet.

Undeterred, Kaiba reached over Yami's shoulder and swung the bar stool around, "Sit. Stay for dessert." he said and he walked away towards the fridge, quickly pulling out the bowl of parfait mix and the chocolate shavings.

Yami stayed standing, staring at Kaiba, bewildered, "I'm not hungry," he said flatly.

"I don't care." Kaiba said shortly, slipping out a thin piping sheet and slowly spooning large helpings of mixture into it. "Eat this before you leave. You're drunk anyway."

"I'm not..!" Yami cried, stricken. He watched as Kaiba bent down and elegantly swirled the mixture atop the granola crumble. Topping it quickly with a perfect layer of whipped cream, Kaiba placed the glass in front of Yami's seat, gently sprinkling chocolate shavings above it all.

Conflicted, Yami glanced at the dessert and then back at Kaiba, who was carefully piping more cream into the wine glasses, his arms moving rhythmically in slow circles, attentively crafting the parfait, layer by layer. Yami frowned and slid himself back into the bar stool, picking up the glass of cream, inspecting it carefully.

Kaiba straightened and brushed the hair off his brow, glancing over at Yami, studying the dessert curiously. He grabbed a small spoon from the drawer and leaned across the counter, sticking it into the side.

Yami set the glass down and folded his arms, his mind racing, wondering what else he could say that would allow him to leave amicably.

Kaiba finished the row of parfaits quickly. Six beautifully layered glasses stood sparkling under the kitchen light. He nodded to himself, satisfied, he hooked them in his fingers and elbowed the refrigerator door open, sliding the completed parfaits onto a shelf. He carelessly threw the empty bowls into the sink loudly, running water through them, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted.

Kaiba shut the water off and turned around to check on Yami, who was sitting quietly across the counter, watching him warily, his parfait was untouched.

Kaiba felt himself grow hot, and he gripped the edge of the counter, "Eat it before it melts." he said stiffly, suddenly remembering the events from their afternoon together, at the bistro, where he said something similar to Yami about eating his fillet while it was still hot.

Yami cocked his head defiantly back at him, "I want to go home."

Kaiba sighed, feeling the tiredness weighing him down. He saw spots dancing in front of his vision as he blinked, and he rubbed his temples in exhaustion. "Please, Yami just eat it." he said tiredly.

Yami looked at him coldly, "Pass."

Kaiba ran his hand through his hair in frustration and leaned his elbows down onto the counter. He grabbed the spoon from the side, he lifted a large drop of cream up to his mouth and licked it off the spoon. Yami's eyes widened and he felt himself blush involuntarily, turning his head away quickly looking towards the doorway, he shifted his weight in his seat, feeling his face burning up.

Kaiba tilted his head devilishly, noticing a pink flush creeping across Yami's cheeks. He smirked and pulled the parfait towards him, and began eating it in earnest.

_Not too bad_, Kaiba thought to himself as he rolled the cream around on his tongue, tasting the texture. It wasn't as sweet as he would've liked, he made a mental note to add more sugar next time.

He noticed Yami's eyes darting around the room, looking desperately anywhere but where he stood, and he let out a small chuckle, "Honestly, just try some." he said, pushing the half-finished parfait towards Yami. "I'll call Isono to drive you home after you eat this. I don't want Mokuba having all of this sugar when I'm not watching him."

Kaiba scooped up a bit of cream and held it up to Yami invitingly. Yami threw him a suspicious look and turned slowly, reaching for the spoon. Kaiba tightened his grip on the spoon and shook his head, "Wrong," he said, trying hold back a laugh.

Yami put his hand down, frustrated, "Kaiba, I'm not in the mood for one of your games."

Kaiba held the spoon out, higher this time, closer to Yami's face, "Try again." he said softly, staring deep into Yami's dark eyes.

Yami blinked and clenched his fist, feeling himself grow extremely red, "Just..give me the spoon."

Kaiba smirked, and said nothing. He reached his free hand around and quickly wrapped a warm hand around the base of Yami's chin, pulling his lips downwards gently and he playfully swiped a chunk of cream onto Yami's bottom lip. Yami jerked back forcefully, wiping his mouth across the back of his hand, smearing cream down his chin. "Kaiba!" he cried, his eyes flashing dangerously at him.

Kaiba laughed triumphantly, "How does it taste?" he threw Yami a grin, watching his blush deepen.

Yami blinked and looked away from Kaiba's gaze, feeling strangely warm, "Don't do that!" he said angrily, tasting the cream on the edge of his tongue. It was very light, and fluffy. Yami stared at the chunk of leftover cream on the back of his hand and quickly put his mouth over it, licking his hand clean. There was a hint of sweet milk and something else...Yami couldn't put his finger on it.

He pulled his hand away from his mouth, just as Kaiba's hand came snaking into his vision, grabbing his chin forcibly again. This time the spoon managed to find it's way into his mouth.

The spoon scraped across the tops of his teeth, depositing bits of cream above his lips. Blinking wildly Yami struggled as he felt the tip of the metal spoon hitting the roof of his mouth dully, and a sweet, fluffy cream enveloped his mouth, causing him to swallow the sweetness thickly, his mouth watering. Yami's tongue pushed tightly agaisnt the spoon, and tried jerking his head away, out of Kaiba's grasp, but his grip only tightened.

Kaiba smirked mischievously, "You like that, don't you? Can you eat it willingly now?"

Yami tried his best to glare angrily at Kaiba and he reached his hand up, wrapping his fingers around Kaiba's wrist, trying to pull his hand away from his face. Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Yami and wrapped his fingers even tighter around his delicate jaw, relishing in the feeling of Yami's soft skin.

"I said, you're not leaving until you finish this. Last chance, or I will be force feeding you this whole thing." Kaiba said with an evil smirk.

Yami dug his nails into the hand holding onto his face, and tried pushing it away with all his might, the spoon still in his mouth, threatening to choke him. Yami shook his head angrily and repeatedly bit down onto the spoon.

"Oh you want more?" Kaiba said smoothly, removing the spoon from Yami's mouth and scooped up another dollop of cream. Yami's eyes widened as the spoon piled high with cream, approached his face. He squirmed, twisting his face away but to no avail. The spoon passed heavily over his lips and Kaiba's fingers found the joint in his jaw, squeezing him open strongly. Yami felt his teeth part and the sweet cream slid through easily, and into his mouth. His tongue cupped the curve of the spoon and Kaiba withdrew it, please to see that it had been licked clean.

"Perfect," Kaiba said smugly, pulling Yami's face closer to his, "Here, have some more." He dipped the spoon down into the parfait, brushing along bits of chocolate from the top. "Open wider, don't make a mess," he said plainly, bringing the spoon towards Yami's lips.

To his surprise, Yami's lips parted slightly and Kaiba slid the spoon in easily.

Yami shut his eyes, his mind screaming one thing, his body screaming another. He let Kaiba push the spoon into his mouth and he tasted the cream again, this time, it was slightly bittersweet, the flakes of dark chocolate caught underneath his tongue. He tapped the spoon with his tongue and Kaiba pulled it out gently, dipping it back into the parfait.

The spoon came again, and Yami willingly opened his mouth this time, dutifully swallowing a mouthful of cream, and Kaiba lifted the spoon lightly out of his mouth. Yami licked his lips inadvertently, enjoying the taste, in spite of himself. Another spoonful of cream came his way and Yami obediently licked it off the spoon, his stomach fluttering strangely, rolling the cream through his mouth.

Kaiba's grip was loosening, it was no longer a vice-like grasp on his jaw. It had turned into a gentle caress, his thumb resting softly on his chin, his long fingers curled under his jaw comfortably.

Another spoonful of cream came his way, and Yami leaned forward slightly, pressing his lips down around the spoon as it left his mouth, he missed a bit, leaving a trail of cream around the edge of the spoon.

Kaiba eyed the spoon and looked deep into Yami's eyes, without blinking, he stuck the spoon in his mouth and licked it clean, tasting Yami's sweetness on the end of his tongue. Kaiba felt himself grow hard at the taste.

Yami swallowed dryly, his heart racing. Kaiba had just licked the spoon that came out of his mouth, was it...an indirect kiss?

Kaiba smirked and he blinked slowly, lowering the spoon back into the parfait, bringing a small dollop of cream up agaisnt Yami's lips. Yami trembled with anticipation and he parted his mouth slightly, welcoming the spoon into his mouth gladly, the metallic taste of the spoon left a salty tang in his mouth. Yami closed his eyes unwittingly, wondering what Kaiba tasted like, but all he could feel was the sweetness of the cream rolling gently off his tongue and down his throat.

Kaiba smiled to himself as he watched Yami squeezing his eyes shut, with the white cream dripping down his chin erotically. He gently pulled the spoon out of Yami's mouth and scraped up the last bit of parfait. Yami lowered his head down into Kaiba's grasp, feeling Kaiba's thumb warmly brush underneath his lips. He shivered, watching Kaiba playfully lick the spoon clean of the last remnants of the parfait. Yami glanced at the empty glass sitting on the counter, feeling strangely disappointed. Kaiba's hand was still on his chin, and Yami didn't move, knowing if he did, Kaiba would take his hand away.

The spoon clinked loudly back into the empty glass and Kaiba leaned forward, smirking, rubbing his slender fingers along the line of Yami's jaw, "Did you like that?" he asked gently.

Yami swallowed, and blushed deeply again, "Take me home." he said resolutely.

"Want another?" Kaiba asked, his eyes glinting under the soft glow of the kitchen lights.

Yami jerked his head out of Kaiba's grasp and slid off the bar stool, hastily adjusting his hoodie. "No, just take me home." he repeated, facing away from Kaiba, running his hand along his jaw, feeling the spots where Kaiba's fingers left imprints on his face heat up.

Kaiba nodded, and he gestured towards the door. "Isono should be waiting by the front in a few minutes. I'll text him."

Yami avoided eye contact as Kaiba led him to the main entrance. They walked past the grand staircase where Mokuba stood quietly at the top, frozen in place, trying to understand what he had just witnessed.

_Yami just said he liked Hiro better than Seto!_ Mokuba thought incredulously, _but isn't Seto...Hiro?_ He sat down on the top step, unable to stand. He looked at the empty parfait glass sitting on the kitchen counter, it looked so tiny from up above.

Mokuba blinked and blinked, still trying to understand what had happened._ Yami didn't want to eat the parfait_, _but then, did Seto just force feed him some?! _

He heard Seto's footsteps climbing up the stairs and he froze.

Kaiba tiredly trudged up the stairs after sending Yami off with Isono. He saw the shadow of a tiny figure sitting at the topmost step. "Mokuba?!" Kaiba's voice echoed throughout the house angrily. "You're still awake?"

A sudden realization came crashing down around Kaiba. _Mokuba must have seen their entire exchange!_

"How long have you been sitting up there?!" he demanded, quickly climbing up the stairs, taking it two, three steps at a time.

Terrified, Mokuba climbed to his feet and attempted to run back into his room. Seto was quicker, his long arms reaching out, grabbing firmly onto his wrist and pulling him back. "Mokuba?" Kaiba said sternly. "Answer me!"

Mokuba squirmed in his brother's grasp, "I'm sorry Seto! I couldn't help it!"

"How long were you there?!" Kaiba repeated, shaking his brother slightly, dread creeping up around him slowly.

"Y-You should've just told him!" Mokuba choked through tears, "Why didn't you just tell him?!"

Kaiba leaned down on one knee and placed a hand on Mokuba's shoulder, holding is younger brother steady, "It's more complicated than that." he said seriously.

"No it's not!" Mokuba shouted back in his face, "How hard is it to just tell the truth for once?!"

"It's hard because," Kaiba said, blinking softly, trying to calm Mokuba down, "He doesn't like me the same way. I need him to like me as one person."

"You _are_ one person." Mokuba said dully, rubbing his eyes.

"No, not currently to him." Kaiba said gently, "So I need to show him that, I can act like Hiro, even when I am Seto. Does that make sense Mokuba?"

"I don't get it." Mokuba said blurrily, "So you're never gonna tell him? Are you gonna be Seto and Hiro forever?"

"I will tell him." Kaiba said, brushing the dark hair out of Mokuba's face, "That time is coming soon, he just needs to see me for who I am, past the black hair, past the brown eyes."

Mokuba nodded, "So you're still gonna have to go around.. looking like.. _that?_ "

Kaiba sighed and swept his brother up in his arms, "Mokuba, people react differently to the way I look, a lot more than you think."

He carried Mokuba into the room and placed him gently down onto his bed, pulling the covers up from underneath his legs.

"Sleep tight." he said, looking down at younger brother who was yawning widely.

Mokuba brought his elbow up under his head, looking up at Kaiba with his large grey eyes, "Night Seto." and Kaiba tucked the sheets firmly under his chin, patting him gently on the head.

He flipped the lights off, glancing behind him to see Mokuba settling in, before closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Um, thank you for all your support! xD Reviews, critiques, favorites, suggestions ALL HELP! They give me life and if I know you're out there reading, I will write more!

UF


	10. Chapter 10

Yami stuck the key into the door of the game shop and stepped inside quietly, shutting the door behind him, listening for movement in the house. It was dark so Yami felt his way carefully inside, walking through the connecting hallway into the living room. He heard the water running upstairs, and realized Yugi was home.

Yami rushed up the stairs and into his room, flipping on the lights and throwing himself down on his bed. He pulled out his phone, checking for messages from Hiro. There were none. In fact, the previous message he'd sent earlier, was still sitting there. It had been read, but there was no response.

Sighing in disappointment, Yami tossed the phone aside, kicking his shoes off, leaning back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. He rubbed his jaw absentmindedly, still feeling Kaiba's lingering touch.

Yami heard the water shut off in the bathroom and he sat up quickly, waiting for Yugi to enter.

_Should I tell Yugi about this?_ Yami thought quietly to himself as he heard the bedroom door creak open slowly.

Yugi entered the room, ruffling his wet hair with a towel. Yami looked up happily, "Yugi!" he said softly.

Yugi draped the towel around his neck casually, suppressing a yawn, "Oh, hey! You were out late."

Yami nodded, "May I tell you something?" he asked, looking seriously at Yugi through his bangs.

Yugi sat himself down next to Yami on the bed, pulling his feet up into a comfortable sitting position, "Of course! I'm always here for you. What is it?"

Yami hesitated, then spoke in a rush, "I think I'm really beginning to like Hiro."

Yugi smiled encouragingly, "Me too!"

Yami reddened and shoved his hands under his thighs nervously, "Yugi, I like him...romantically."

Yugi's expression changed slightly, "Oh." he stated, looking confused, "Okay, well I hope it works out..." his voice trailed off uncertainly.

"I'm sure it will," Yami replied hastily, swinging his legs against the edge of the bed feeling jittery, "The only issue being, he reminds me of Kaiba. Very much so. Almost too much." Yami looked to Yugi for a response.

Yugi's mouth was hanging open slightly as he stammered, "O-oh, um I'm not sure where you're getting that. Is it because they're similar in height? If anything, I only see a slight physical resemblance."

Yami shook his head, "Yes there's that, but they have a lot of similar mannerisms."

Yugi frowned, "Well, the world is a big place, we're bound to meet some similar people eventually."

Yami nodded slowly, "I agree, but...another concerning thing is that he doesn't feel like a stranger at all."

Yugi placed a warm hand on Yami's shoulder, "That's how it should usually feel when you meet someone special, ...right?"

"I suppose." Yami responded doubtfully. An image of Hiro's smiling face flashed through his mind, slowly morphing into Kaiba's classic sneer. He shook his head and stood up, "Thank you for listening Yugi. I think I need a shower...and you should get some sleep."

Yugi stood and walked across the room, flopping onto his bed, making himself comfortable, "Okay, well, don't think about it too much. If you guys get along really well, there shouldn't be anything to worry about!"

Yami nodded silently and exited the room, heading for the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Kaiba sat himself down tiredly onto his bed, exhausted. He pulled out the phone he was using as Hiro and laid it on his lap next to his company phone. Kaiba stared at the two phones for a long moment before laying back comfortably into the sheets, pulling the Hiro phone close to his face.

He unlocked the phone and realized he had received a message from Yami without hearing the notification. Suddenly he remembered Mokuba telling him earlier that his phone had been buzzing, and Kaiba remembered picking up his phone. He _had_ read it! Kaiba shook his head tiredly, he was losing his mind. He definitely needed to sleep.

Tapping the chat box quickly, he read the message again.

"Come visit me tomorrow?" it said simply.

Hesitating, Kaiba typed out a message, unsure if he'd even get a response. He glanced at the clock. It was 1:30AM. _Whatever_, Kaiba thought carelessly, and he sent the message saying, "Where and when?"

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the high ceiling, feeling his head ache painfully.

Yami had just stepped out the shower when he heard his phone buzz in his pants pocket. Quickly shaking it out of his pants, his towel slipping down his leg slightly, he unlocked the screen with shaking fingers. It was a text from Hiro! "Where and when?" he had asked.

Yami brought the towel up to his hair to dry his dripping bangs with one hand, the other, typing out a reply, "Would you be willing to spend a day in the game shop with me? Yugi has class all day, so we'll have the place to ourselves." He read it over thrice before sending it.

Kaiba heard the phone buzz under his ear and he rolled over onto his front, his head chinning the pillow, he glanced down at the screen, pleased to have received an answer so quickly.  
_A day in the game shop huh_, Kaiba thought darkly, _I guess he's not really free to spend time elsewhere otherwise..._

Kaiba quickly tapped out a response, "Sure!" he paused before sending it, and then added, "I can bring us lunch!" and he sent it.

Yami got dressed quickly, slipping into comfortable lounge wear, the phone buzzed againstthe bathroom counter. He picked it up, reading the message excitedly, and quickly replied, "I would love that! Just stop by anytime."

Kaiba watched his phone as Yami's message popped up on the chat screen.

"I'll text you before I head over." Kaiba wrote back simply.

"I'll be waiting for you!" Yami typed, and he clicked his phone shut, flipping off the bathroom lights, making his way quietly back into his room.

Kaiba blinked and stared at the message, re-reading it over and over, the words echoing around in his mind relentlessly.  
_I'll be waiting for you! I'll be waiting for you... _  
Kaiba shut his eyes, trying to imagine Yami actually saying that to him. He couldn't. His hand hovered above the screen.

_Why can't he be this carefree all the time? _he thought angrily._ Also, what the fuck should I say to that? _

Kaiba miserably ran his hand through his hair. He decided to go with optimism and he typed his response on the screen slowly, "I can't wait." and he hit send. He read it again on the screen, realizing he'd send it with a period at the end, making it sound too serious.

Cursing himself, Kaiba clicked his phone off angrily and shoved it under his pillow. Burying his face into his sheets, Kaiba sighed.

_I'll make this work somehow_, he vowed viciously, before drifting slowly off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Yami laid in the dark on his bed, his phone screen glowing softly in front of him. He stared at the text Hiro had sent him "I can't wait."  
And he frowned.

_Why did he sound so serious all of a sudden? _Yami pondered, before flipping his phone face down and clicking it off. His fingers tightened around the edge of his phone.

_He probably just wrote it in a hurry_. Yami thought sleepily, and he felt himself relax into a deep sleep.

* * *

Yugi's 6 AM alarm rang intrusively throughout the room, and Yami frowned into his pillow, shoving his face deeper into the covers wishing Yugi would turn it off. The alarm kept ringing and Yami sat up angrily, glancing over at Yugi's bed where he lay peacefully, adamantly sleeping through it.

Sighing heavily, Yami quickly flung his legs over the side of his bed and crossed the room, hovering over Yugi's sleeping form, searching for the phone that was blaring loudly from under his pillow. Reaching his hand underneath Yugi's pillow, he found the button on the side and clicked the alarm off. Yugi rolled his head around, trapping Yami's arm under his pillow.

Smiling gently, Yami reached a hand up to lightly brush the blond bangs out of Yugi's face.

Yugi twitched, and turned his head away, snoring lightly. Yami slowly patted Yugi's face, brushing his thumbs under his little round cheeks, "Yugi..!" Yami whispered, shaking him slightly. "Wake up."

Yugi didn't move and the phone began ringing again. Yami sighed and reached under the pillow, he pulled the phone out and placed it on Yugi's face, watching it slide off his cheek comically as it buzzed loudly.

Yugi's eyes cracked open and clawed at his face, groaning, "Yami...! What..?!"

"Wake up..!" Yami cried, laughing slightly, "Your alarm woke me!"

Yugi grumbled and sat up, blearily looking at his phone screen, "Oh noo...why...!" He seemed to be wide awake now, and Yami watched him closely, wondering what was wrong.

"What's wrong Aibou?" Yami asked, frowning, peering over Yugi's shoulder and down at his phone screen.

"One of the group members is sick today! That means I need to get there early, to make sure everything is okay...uhg." Yugi yawned widely and slowly climbed out of bed.

Yami walked back over to his bed and sat down, still feeling the last dredges of sleep leaving his body. Yugi was rummaging around for something on their desk and Yami laid back down onto the bed, absently fingering his phone.

"So, you're gonna watch the shop today, right?" Yugi asked, his head buried in a drawer.

"Yes." Yami said, looking down at his phone, clicking it on and noticing there were no messages, he flipped it face down hastily.

"You're not going to take off with Hiro today, and not come back, right?" Yugi said playfully, tilting his head over towards Yami, watching him moodily flip his phone over.

"No I will be in the shop all day, Yugi. I promised." Yami said sullenly, watching as Yugi straightened up.

"Good!" Yugi said, smiling as he exited the room, "Just text me anytime today, I'll respond!" and he headed for the bathroom.

Yami heard the water running and he flopped backwards onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. through the sun roof. The sun was peeking out through the clouds as they drifted by slowly and Yami closed his eyes, wondering if he should go back to sleep, or text Hiro.

He reached around for his phone and held it above him, sliding it open, he tapped the chat box and he quickly wrote, "Good morning!", his eyes lingering over Hiro's name above the chat box in his phone, Yami hit send. He watched the message float up on the screen and his phone stayed silent.

Sighing, Yami placed his arms across his forehead. He's probably not awake yet, Yami thought, and he felt himself drifting off again, the sound of the water was slowly lulling him deeper and deeper to sleep.

* * *

Kaiba's phone buzzed against the nightstand, rattling loudly across the surface.

Kaiba brought a tired hand up to still the phone in a haze of sleepiness, his hand bumped against two phones on the nightstand and they both clattered to the floor. Cursing, Kaiba forced himself to sit up, bringing a palm up to his face and ruffling his hair back groggily. His hair flipped annoying back across his eyes, brushing across the edges of his eyelashes. Sighing heavily, Kaiba shifted his legs over the edge of the bed and looked down at the floor for the phones.

His hair was obscuring parts of his vision, and it was starting to piss him off. Kaiba stood up off the bed and bent down to pick up the phones, turning them both over in his hand, cursing whoever it was that woke him. The light was blinking from Hiro's phone, indicating a message notification.

Suddenly wide awake, Kaiba unlocked the phone, and realized it was from Yami.

"Good morning!" it read.

Kaiba shut his eyes and rubbed his temples, feeling slightly refreshed but still groggy from being woken up so suddenly. Why was Yami texting him so goddamn early in the morning?!

He held the phone up and responded quickly, "Good morning!" carefully remembering to add the exclamation point at the end, and he sent it. Clicking his phone off and placing it back on the nightstand, Kaiba trudged into the bathroom and leaned over the sink, glaring at his own reflection.

His hair was getting impossibly long in the front, longer that he liked. He realized he'd been so caught up, dying his hair and playing dress-up, that he forgot his usual monthly hair trim.

_Damn_, Kaiba groaned,_ I might have to go in for a trim before I do anything else today. _

He made a mental note to call his secretary before leaving the house and he stepped into the shower.

_Work is piling up_, Kaiba grumbled to himself, reaching for the bottle of hair dye which was almost empty, but then he paused. _The more time I spend being Hiro, the less time I have as Seto Kaiba...I need to complete my weekly duties as CEO of my goddamn company._

The water dripped down the end of his nose and Kaiba shut the faucet off, deciding he wouldn't make an appointment at the hair salon. He'd just walk in.

Kaiba wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. Heading over towards his closet, he noticed the stack of his purchases from his shopping trip the other day. He quickly grabbed a white v-neck t-shirt and pulled on a pair of dark jeans.

Standing in front of the mirror, Kaiba stared at himself, put-off by his own appearance, dressed so casually, without the black hair and brown eyes. Sighing, he opted to spice up his outfit with a black blazer, sporting a thin, silk, shawl lapel. Throwing it on over his shoulders, Kaiba ran his fingers down over fabric, adjusting it accordingly, satisfied at the quality of the blazer.

He glanced in the mirror again and felt better. The coat made him feel more like himself, but he frowned, realizing that if he dyed his hair, he might look too sharp, which was out of character for his other persona.

Kaiba ran a frustrated hand through his hair and gave up sighing once more, resigning himself to dealing with the consequences of Yami's inevitable questions later. He quickly spritzed himself with the cologne and grabbed his brown leather bag and both of his phones, shoving them in his pockets and hurrying down the stairs.

* * *

"Yami!" Yugi called, shaking him slightly, "Yami?"

Yami cracked his eyes open and saw Yugi bending over him, looking rushed, "Hey! Sorry, I gotta go now, okay? So, take care."

Yami sat up, confused, then realized he'd fallen asleep again, "Oh, Aibou, of course. I'll see you ..tonight?"

Yugi nodded and pulled Yami into a quick hug, "Yep! Hopefully I'll be back a little earlier today. Also, Anzu planned a go-karting trip for everyone! Let me know if you wanna come along! We could all use a break."

Yami suppressed a yawn and stood up, returning the hug, "Thank you for telling me Yugi."  
He hesitated before asking, "Do you think we can invite Hiro?"

Yugi laughed and shifted his bag over his shoulder, "Yeah, if you wanna invite him go ahead!"

Yami smiled softly back at Yugi, "Okay Aibou. Have a good day today."

Yugi beamed at him and rushed out the door. Yami heard his footsteps rumbling down the stairs and the door slamming, and then, silence. Yami glanced down at his phone and clicked it on, pleased when he saw a return message from Hiro, "Good morning!" it read.

_Seems he was awake after all_, Yami thought secretly, walking over to the closet deciding what he should wear for the day. He chose a simple black tee, pairing it with a sleeveless hoodie which he pulled snugly over his head. It draped nicely over one of his belts, the second belt hanging low peeking out from beneath the end of the hoodie. Yami glanced at his reflection, satisfied, and headed down the stairs.

* * *

Kaiba pulled into the parking lot in front of CC's hair studio and was immediately greeted by Kit, who perked up and threw him a suggestive look, "Hey, welcome back handsome!"

Kaiba said nothing and clenched his fists, realizing he'd forgotten his usual stylist was "preggers" as Kit put it. He looked around the studio and realized it was empty.

Kaiba glanced back at Kit and spoke reluctantly, "Where's everyone?"

Kit shrugged nonchalantly, "Sick, or preggs. CC's 'bout to pop soon, so we'll be closed on that day next month. We're all going to be at the hospital."

"Right." Kaiba said, struggling to maintain his emotionless expression. It was even more uncomfortable this time around because Kaiba realized how much Kit's cosmetic suggestions had been helping him so far, as Hiro.

_And what's more,_ Kaiba felt his blood run cold_, Kit is gay_. _But...then what does that make me..?!_

Kaiba felt the room swirl around him dangerously as he suddenly came to the realization that, he'd been doing a lot of very gay things with Yami.

Kaiba saw Kit's eyes dart back and forth, from the tips of his shoes and back up to his face. Kaiba blinked rapidly, steadying himself mentally.

"Nice! New look?" Kit giggled and motioned Kaiba towards one of the chairs. Kaiba followed him, his feet growing heavy with each step as he reluctantly sat down.

"So...what'll it be today?" Kit hummed merrily, circling him like a shark, clicking his tongue and jutting out his hip.

"A trim." Kaiba said stiffly, trying very hard not to look Kit in the eye. He glanced uncertainly at Kit, his mind racing with strange thoughts. _If he's gay, can he tell if I'm gay?!_ Kaiba swallowed dryly,

"Ohhhh right right right riiiight," Kit said, lisping heavily, "Your girl Cecile, she told me you'd come in for a monthly thing-a-ling. But I guess that's ...changing." Kit's eyes raked intrusively across his face again and Kaiba felt his ears heat up.

"Look, I just need my hair out of my eyes." Kaiba growled, glaring at Kit's reflection in the mirror.

"Yea I hear you, I hear you," Kit said, staring at him with a strange expression, "Hair out of your eyes, got it. Hey, how's the hair dye and contacts working out for you boo?"

Kaiba blinked and responded carefully, "Quite well, thanks."

"Mmmm I see," Kit hummed, "You're not wearing them today?"

"I need, a trim first." Kaiba managed through clenched teeth, curling his fingers angrily over his knees, trying to maintain his temper.

"Okay I gotchu handsome, don't worry." Kit purred and he flipped the barber's cape expertly over Kaiba's slender frame and buckled it firmly around his neck. Floating back around to Kaiba's front, Kit lifted a pair of scissors and shielded Kaiba's face with the back of his hand while he deftly trimmed the bangs, skillfully flipping the hair cleanly away from his face.

Kaiba stared down at the cape as bits of his light brown hair drifted downwards, sliding off the fabric and falling out of sight, onto the floor.

"All donnne!" Kit sang, switching on the blow dryer and blasting the area around Kaiba's face and neck, "Take a look, see?"

Kaiba turned his head carefully from left to right, and nodded. It was done very well actually, it was perfectly sitting above his eyelids, just the way he liked it.

Kit reached around and tugged the cape off from Kaiba's neck and spoke, "Come sit by the basin, I have an idea."

Kaiba froze, instantly suspicious, "What?" he growled.

"Jussst c'mere!" Kit cried, motioning him towards the wash basin seat. "Don't worry, it's just this!" Kit help up a familiar bottle of black hair dye and Kaiba nodded stiffly, rising out of his chair begrudgingly and sat himself down in the seat in front of Kit.

Kaiba leaned his head back and felt the water rushing powerfully against his scalp, his neck straining slightly as Kit massaged the dye thoroughly into his hair. He felt a towel bunch around his forehead and Kit pushed him upwards, "Okay now this waaay handsome." Kit sang happily, leading Kaiba back to the seat by the mirror, humming incessantly to himself.

Kit released the towel and Kaiba watched as thick chunks of black hair fell heavily around his face, his clear blue eyes staring eerily back at him in his reflection. Kit grabbed the blow dryer and ran his fingers back through Kaiba's hair, lightly grazing his scalp.

Kaiba watched as Kit pulled out a light pink, tinted glass jar, and dipped his fingers into the contents, slathering it over his palms and through his fingers.

Kaiba jerked his head back, "Wait...what is that?!" he cried, but it was too late, Kit already had his fingers threaded through the tops of his hair, pulling methodically upwards from root to tip.

"Quit movin' hon, don't wanna mess this beauty up," Kit mumbled, frowning in concentration. He twisted the tips expertly together, styling Kaiba's hair upwards purposefully, brushing the bangs away from his forehead. A light, floral scent from the product drifted down around Kaiba and he wrinkled his nose slightly. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, but it was too feminine for his taste.

Kaiba stiffened in the chair and watched Kit apprehensively as he pulled the hair up and away, exposing his brow. Kaiba blinked deliberately and took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm.

_Whatever Kit is doing to my hair, at least it'll wash out with a bit of water_, Kaiba thought to himself. He couldn't look at himself in the mirror, so he stared down at his hands, clasped together firmly in his lap, waiting for Kit to stop fussing with his hair.

"Done!" Kit said triumphantly, stepping back and wiggling his fingers excitedly. "Tell me, what do you think?!"

Kaiba looked up at his reflection and felt his heart stop.

His bangs hand been pushed back high above his head, curling down elegantly across the top of his head in a slight poof. It had been slicked back with volume, exposing his entire forehead, and Kaiba turned his head left and right, inspecting his features which he'd previously paid no attention to.

His face looked slimmer now that all the hair had been pulled up from his brow, and he noticed his dark circles were more visible, his cheekbones sticking out prominently under the glare of the salon lights. Kaiba blinked, and watched the stranger in his reflection blink back at him. His eyes looked alien, his masculine brow rode high across his face, dipping down towards his slender nose. His eyes looked like two glass marbles set against his pale skin, his black hair was gleaming back at him strangely.

_Oh my god_, Kaiba thought as felt his stomach flop nervously, _How do I look so different?! I guess this is what I look like without bangs. God, my eyes stand out too much..._

Kit was blubbering nonsensically beside him, "Oh...you looked so _heavy_ with all that hair in your face, but..lookitchu now...oh my loooorrd...! You look so, so, fresh!"

Kaiba swallowed and saw his adam's apple bob in the mirror, he felt himself nod. He shook his head slightly, feeling his hair stay in place; it was strangely light even though there was product in it, and Kaiba realized he could roll his eyes directly upwards without hair stabbing into his eyes. "What is that?" he asked hollowly, pointing at the pink tinted-glass jar.

"That's just some quality hair wax baby, imported from Korea." Kit said, his eyes fixated permanently on Kaiba's face, and Kaiba shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Oh my god...you look so much better like this. Here," Kit grabbed the glass jar and pressed it into Kaiba's hand.

"Just take it, babe, and get out of here, before I jump you." Kit said, and Kaiba could feel the sweat from Kit's hands lingering on the back of his hand as he pulled away.

"Wait," Kaiba said roughly, turning his head again to face his reflection, noting the sides were also smartened up, laying stylishly over his ears, even his profile looked different. "How did you do this?"

"OH I forgot!" Kit cried, biting his lip in distress, "Okay so just, take a bit, rub it in your hands, and push it back, and up. And you'll feel the product run to the tips of your fingers. And if you want it to be poofier, just add air baby." Kit rattled the blow dryer on the counter. "And you don't need that much water, just keep your palms damp! Simple as that!"

Kaiba stood slowly and nodded, "Thank you. I also need to purchase another set of contacts from you."

Kit gulped visibly and ran to his cart, digging around mumbling and pulling out two packages. He dramatically threw his hand over his eyes and held them out to Kaiba, "Here, _take them_...and just .._go!_"

Kaiba rolled his eyes, secretly amazed that there wasn't any hair poking into his eyeballs as he did so. "Well, I need to pay you." he said simply, accepting the package of contacts from Kit,watching in amusement as Kit breathed heavily into his palms and slapped himself lightly.

"Right right.." Kit said distractedly, hurrying over to the front desk and typing frantically into the computer, not making any eye contact.

Kaiba stowed the hair wax and contacts into his leather bag and made his way over towards the desk slowly, slightly perturbed at Kit's behavior. "C-Card please!" Kit said shakily, staring down at the screen, holding his palm out resolutely.

Kaiba smirked and handed him his card, watching Kit silently swipe it and hand it back to him by placing it on the counter, instead of back into his hand. Not bothered in the slightest, Kaiba slid it off the counter and back into his wallet smoothly as he turned to leave.

Kit watched Kaiba walk out through the glass doors, and he let out his breath, leaning against the counter. Fanning himself frantically with both hands, Kit made his way to the salon bathroom to wash his hands.

Outside, Kaiba stepped into his car and closed the door, feeling the heat from the sun gather stiflingly around him. He felt the top of his hair brush the roof of his car, and he tilted his head curiously,

_Damn my hair is tall_, Kaiba thought satisfyingly, turning the key in the ignition_, I can see why Yami spikes his hair up to God whenever possible_. Kaiba paused, then remembered... _Yami!_

He rolled the windows down and pulled out his phone, shooting Yami a quick text, "I'm on my way there!" and he dropped his phone back into his pocket. The sun was burning a hole through him and Kaiba rolled the sleeves up on his blazer before backing carefully out of the parking space.

* * *

Yami flipped the "open" sign around on the door and walked back to the counter when he heard his phone buzz against the glass. It was from Hiro! Hurriedly sliding his finger across the screen, he read the text, feeling excitement curl in his chest. Yami grabbed the broom and began sweeping vigorously, keen on knocking off as many chores as he could before Hiro arrived.

* * *

Kaiba pulled his car off the freeway, passing by a row of brightly-lit restaurants, with a huge line of people queuing at the door. Interested, Kaiba parked his car along the curb and pulled out his phone. Checking the location on the internet, he wondered what was causing all the commotion.

He scrolled through the results, pleased to see it was a popular take-out eatery specializing in bentos and set lunches. Kaiba stepped out of his car. Swinging his leather bag over his shoulder he flung the door shut behind him. Walking swiftly up to the line of people, he tried to peer inside, wondering if the wait would be long.

He noticed he was getting stares from the people in line and he ignored them pointedly, craning his neck above their heads. He felt someone tap him on the arm. Kaiba whirled around in a contained fury, looking for the source of the unwanted contact. There was no one around him, and then he looked down at a little girl, about four or five years old, who was squinting up at him from knee-height.

"Excuse me mister, can you take me inside to see my dad?" she said, looking at him with big eyes.

Kaiba frowned down at her, "What?" he snapped, and he glanced around at everyone in line; they were all on their phones, ignoring them purposefully. Kaiba felt his skin crawl, realizing something wasn't right here.

She tugged on his sleeve again and spoke, "My dad works here, but no one's letting me in. You're a tall prince, aren't you mister? Can you carry me inside?"

Kaiba instinctively grabbed her hand and led her to the back of the line, "We're going to wait in line with everyone else."

"But..!" She cried, "That'll take forever!"

"Your dad isn't going anywhere if he works in there," Kaiba said roughly, "You'll see him when we get inside."

The people in front of Kaiba began shifting uncomfortably. It was clear she had already been through the line, asking all the strangers to do the same thing.

"But..my daddy is the buss!" She insisted, close to tears, "And s-so that makes me the buss too!N-Nobody is believing me! "

"What?" Kaiba said, his eyes widening, "Then what are you doing out here?"

"I got c-closed on!" she blubbered, "I w-went to go potty but got outside using another door and it c-closed on me! And I tried to get back in but it was locked!"

Kaiba furrowed his brow, frowning deeply, as the line didn't seem to be moving. He looked down at the girl again and asked, "So your dad is the boss, and he thinks you've been in the bathroom all this time?"

The girl looked at him confused, "Yes I just toldju my daddy is the buss."

"How old are you?" Kaiba asked, trying to keep his voice gentle, leaning down and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

The girl held up four fingers, and sniffled into her sleeve, "I'm four!" she said.

Kaiba sighed, leaned forward and tapped the shoulder of the man closest to them in the line, "Excuse me," he said roughly, "Would you mind letting us-"

"No." The man said firmly, turning away to stare at his phone, "I've been here in this line for about 15 minutes, and that girl has no proof her father owns the place. She doesn't even know his phone number."

"She's four." Kaiba growled through gritted teeth, "Did _you_ know how to memorize numbers when you were four?"

"I could count to ten," the man responded blandly, turning his back completely on Kaiba.

Kaiba clenched his fists and willed himself to remain calm. The line inched forwards slightly, but the girl was starting to sniffle louder, and Kaiba could feel a full-blown tantrum coming on. He leaned down again and patted her head frantically, "Hey, now, don't do that. What's your dad's name?"

"M-Matt." She said, rubbing her eyes furiously.

Kaia gently grabbed her tiny hands away from her face, "Don't cry."

"I-I'm not crying." She said stubbornly.

"What's his last name?" Kaiba asked softly.

"Sm-mith." She said, hiccuping slightly.

Kaiba groaned internally. Of course her dad's name would be the two most common names in the fucking universe. Kaiba sighed and stood up, pulling his company phone out of his pocket,_ I guess it's worth a try_, Kaiba thought haphazardly, dialing his secretary, figuring that she'd probably be able to reach him faster than the rate at which the line was moving.

The girl sniffled loudly beside him and Kaiba reached his hand out for her to hold. She curled a tiny, sweaty, hand around his pinky and held on tightly.

Kaiba pressed the phone up against his ear as it rung through, "Mr. Kaiba!" she chirped, "Good morning!"

"Hey," Kaiba said roughly, "See if you can contact a Matt Smith, owner of the establishment..." Kaiba craned his head up to look around the edge of the building, searching for the sign, "...Bento no Tengoku."

He heard his secretary rustling paper around, "And you would like to schedule a meeting with him? Are you sending an offer to purchase the establishment?"

"No." Kaiba said darkly, "I have his daughter."

"Wh-What?!" She cried, "M-Mr. Kaiba..what is going on?! Is there something I need to know?!"

"She's lost, says her dad is the owner, so just get him to either step outside of the restaurant, or get him on the phone as quick as you can." Kaiba said and he hung up the phone, just as the man standing in front of him turned around to smirk at him.

"Who're you calling," he drawled, "Don't even try. This place is so famous, there are tons of people trying to cut the line any way they can."  
The woman in front of him turned to face them as well, adding, "Yea. I'm here on a paid task. Read: I'm being paid to stand in this line."

Kaiba opened his mouth to retaliate angrily, but then he heard another loud sniffle beside him as the girl let go of his hand and started to huff into her sleeve, trying to muffle her sobs.

"Okay, Okay," Kaiba said, his panic rising higher as her sobs grew louder "Your dad will come out to get you."

"N-No he w-w-won't!" She choked, "He th-th-thinks I'm in the potty!"

"Well what about your mom?" Kaiba asked desperately, "Maybe she can come get you."

"Mommy is inside t-too!" she cried, hiccuping again in an effort to stifle her sobs.

_So it's a family business_, Kaiba thought sympathetically, and suddenly the phone buzzed in his pocket. Kaiba picked it up, flinching at the loud background noise garbling through the speakers, and a frantic male voice traveled out of the phone, "A woman told me you have my Adrianne?!"

Kaiba quickly lowered the phone and shoved it towards the little girl, "Here, talk." he said, putting the phone up against her wet cheek. She gripped the phone tightly with both hands "D-Daddy?!" she choked.

The people in front of them turned around to stare incredulously.

"Uh..huh." She said into the phone, sniffling, wiping a tear away with her fist, "I got closed on! I'm outside! A handsome prince charming is borrowing me his phone!"

The people in line began to whisper fervently and Kaiba looked at the doorway expectantly, feeling his panic rise. He felt a tap on his arm and the girl held his phone back at him, tears shining on the surface of the screen. "Thank you mister! You saved me!" she said happily, and just as Kaiba took the phone from her hand, a man and a woman dressed in white hats and aprons, burst out from the doorway, looking distraught.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She cried, waving and running up to them. They rushed forwards and hugged her tightly. Kaiba let out a small sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall of the building, hugging the shadow of the awning, hoping he wouldn't be seen or questioned.

Too late. The little girl was jumping excitedly and pointing in his direction, leading her mom and dad by the hand, over to where he stood.

The tall gentleman with a thin frame and greying hair reached his hand out towards him in a friendly manner. Kaiba automatically shook it, unable to stop his trained business-like habits. His wife clutched the child to her chest, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Thank you_ so _much...Mr..?" The man said, looking directly into Kaiba's eyes, his fingers curling tightly in the handshake. This man was just about the same height as he was.

"No problem." Kaiba said smoothly, squeezing back with equal strength.

"Mr. No Problem." The man repeated, giving him a strange look, not releasing his hand.

"Yep." Kaiba said, faking a small smile, realizing thankfully, that his secretary did not disclose his name in the call.

Kaiba could hear the whispers grow louder around them as more and more people began turning around in the line to stare at him. He could feel himself heating up uncomfortably at their stares.

"Well," The man said, giving his hand another firm shake. "Come inside with me, I would like to speak with you."

Kaiba blinked, and made an effort to smile, expecting his contacts to slide against his eyes, but realized he wasn't wearing his contacts. _Shit. _

"Of course." Kaiba said, resisting the urge to swallow nervously. The man nodded and gestured for his wife to follow him around the side of the building.

The man led them towards a series of doors, sitting hidden behind several large dumpsters. A fishy smell invaded Kaiba's nostrils, almost causing him to gag visibly.

"Prince!" The girl cried, running out of her mother's arms and grasping his hand tightly again, "Are we friends now?!"

"Adrianne, come back here!" the mother cried sharply, tugging on the girl's arm but she stubbornly twisted out of her mother's grasp, looking up at Kaiba with her large eyes.

Kaiba swallowed nervously, afraid if he opened his mouth, he might actually vomit. He felt the girl tugging on his pinky and Kaiba and didn't look down, his gaze firmly fixed on the owner who was unlocking the door

"You saved me, you're my prince!" she insisted, her little hands were growing sweaty around Kaiba's little finger.

Kaiba turned slowly and looked at the mother, who had her arms crossed firmly, looking agitated. He threw her a reassuring smile, and slowly swept the girl up with practiced girl tightened her arms around his neck and hugged him. The mother gasped and the owner turned around, also visibly surprised.

The door was held open for them as Kaiba stepped into a narrow hallway, tightly bracing the girl against his shoulder, quietly noting that with all his years of experience carrying Mokuba in his arms she felt so tiny in comparison.

"Prince, am I your princess now?" She said softly in his ear.

Kaiba turned in the narrow hallway to face her parents, who were staring at him with a strange mixture of fear and admiration. Kaiba knelt and put her down gently, "Yes, yes you are." he said, a smile curved at the corners of his lips. She smiled widely back at him, and ran back to hug her father.

"S-Sir." The man spoke, looking at him uncertainly, "How did you manage to reach my personal number?"

Kaiba stood swiftly, readying himself for the lies he was about to tell, "Oh, I just called around." he responded carefully, trying not to make too much eye contact by glancing around the hallway, peering into several open doors, which he realized were bathrooms. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bathroom mirror and blinked, feeling the familiar bubble of dread rise up in his throat.

_I need to put my contacts in_, Kaiba thought distractedly.

"Yes, well, how can we thank you?" The owner said, clutching the shoulder of his little girl tightly.

"Ow, daddy...!" The girl cried, squirming away.

Kaiba tilted his head towards one of the bathrooms, "Actually, I need to use your amenities."

The family stared at him, their mouths hanging open with surprise.

"I'll be right out" Kaiba said gruffly, and he strode inside quickly, shutting the door carefully behind him. He heard their footsteps pass by and Kaiba sagged his weight against the door. The day had only just begun and he was fucking exhausted. He looked around quickly, thankful that the bathroom was well-lit, and well-furnished, decorated with sea-themed pieces. A large acrylic octopus hung with it's tentacles sprawled out over one side of the wall.

Walking over to the sink, Kaiba inspected his reflection closely, noting the row of seashells artfully framing the mirror. He leaned back and rummaged around in his bag. He found the pack of contacts quickly and popped one of the cases open. He placed it on the counter beside a large conch shell, careful not to spill the saline in the container, and he washed his hands quickly.

The sandy scent from the soap floated up from the sink and Kaiba hastily dried his hands on a paper towel. Holding his breath, he tapped one of the contacts out of the container with the tip of his slender finger, lifting it up to the light, and he pulled his eyelid back with exercised precision to slide the contact into his eye. Kaiba leaned his head back and blinked, feeling the cool saline settle around the corners of his eye. He tilted his head forwards looking into the mirror.

One eye was blue, and the other was brown. Kaiba felt a laugh escape his throat, briefly entertaining the thought of walking around like this for a day, just to see people's reactions. Shaking his head slightly, Kaiba quickly applied the other contact onto his eye and blinked, his vision blurring in and out as it settled over his cornea.

He looked into the mirror again, satisfied with his appearance. He tossed the empty contact container into the trash and exited the bathroom. Stepping out into the hallway, he realized it was empty. The family had vanished, and Kaiba frowned, trying the handle of back door from which he came in through. It was locked.

_Well, fuck_, Kaiba realized the father had probably locked it to prevent the little girl from making the same mistake twice. _Shit, I'm going to have to leave through the front,_ Kaiba thought darkly, making his way through the hallway. He could hear the echo of commotion from the front of the restaurant, bouncing around loudly off the walls.

He passed the kitchen and a few of the workers nodded at him, smiling. Unnerved, Kaiba looked away quickly when suddenly the owner burst through a set of flaps, separating the hallway from the chaos at the front of the store.

"Mr. Prince!" he gasped, panting, trying to catch his breath, "My wife and I have something for you, please take it before you leave!"

Kaiba felt himself cringe at his new nickname, his voice caught in his throat as he tried to decline, "No, thank you, really. It's not an issue."

"Yes, I insist!" The man said, frowning suddenly and rushing past him and disappearing into the kitchen.

Kaiba stood awkwardly alone in the hallway, catching glimpses of the crowds of people outside, clamoring around the registers, and Kaiba saw the back of the girl's mother, busy working the register.

_Where is the little girl?_ Kaiba thought faintly, lifting a flap back_, _looking for her.

"Here!" The owner cried, appearing behind him, carrying the handles of two large, paper bags of food. "Please. I can't thank you enough. My little Adrienne is always getting into trouble."

Kaiba nodded stiffly and accepted the bags, his arms jerked downwards suddenly at the unexpected weight of the food and the handles dug painfully into the curves of his fingers.

"Oh careful, it's heavy!" The man laughed, quickly adjusting his apron around his neck, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Thank you." Kaiba said numbly, shifting the bulky bags in his hands, "Where is she?"

"Ah, she is in our office, reading a book. I told her to stay in there, but she's very curious, you know, children." The man laughed loudly again and Kaiba noticed a few workers in the kitchen nodding solemnly in agreement.

"Does she need a daycare?" Kaiba asked suddenly, unable to stop himself. He mentally slapped himself._ What the hell am I doing?! _Kaiba screamed at himself internally,_ Why can't I shut the fuck up?_

"That, I'm not sure. I would love to put her in one," The man said, frowning, his hands on his hips, "But she doesn't make friends easily. I'm glad she seems to like you."

Kaiba's mind raced quickly, recalling several notable daycares and nannies Gozaburo had provided for Mokuba, and he set the bags of food down against his legs. "Do you have a pen and paper?" he said quickly, scanning the owner's apron, looking at the pad in his pocket.

"Ah, yes!" The man cried, pulling it out and patting his other pockets for a pen, "May I ask what this is for?"

Kaiba grabbed the pen and pad from the man and quickly wrote down several names of daycares and contact numbers of their top three nannies.

He handed the pad back to the owner and picked the bags up off the floor, readying himself for a barrage of questions.

The owner's eyes darted across the paper, squinting at the elegant handwriting, his eyes widening in amazement, "Are these...?"

"Yes." Kaiba said quickly, shifting the bags heavily in his hands, "The daycare might not work out, but try the nannies. They're very understanding. I believe you can negotiate an affordable rate with them as well. They're not bound by a contract; they're all private nannies."

The man clutched the paper so hard in his hands it began to wrinkle at edges, and he grabbed Kaiba by the shoulder tightly, "Thank you, young man, thank you so much!_ Please_, come back anytime. We will serve you for free! We'll remember you as Mr. Prince, ...won't we dear?" The man called into the front, addressing his wife, and the woman whirled around, counting several large bills in her hands.

"What's that honey?" she called over the commotion.

"Mr. Prince eats for free anytime, yes?" He yelled, his hand still placed firmly on Kaiba's shoulder.

"Of course dear!" She called back, turning to face the customer, bending down over the register to count change.

Kaiba swallowed and nodded again, unable to speak. _I'm Mr. Prince, huh_, he thought deliriously, swaying slightly where he stood.

"Okay!" The man cried happily, pulling Kaiba along by the arm down the hallway, "Here I'll unlock the door for you and let you out this way."

Kaiba felt his feet move heavily, following the man back down the hallway towards the back exit.

The owner held the door open for him and the rancid smell from the dumpsters caught him in the face again, Kaiba forced himself to remain emotionless.

"Well, Mr. Prince, here you go! I could've sworn you had blue eyes when you came in. My daughter, she's very much into fairy tales," he said nodding, his eyes roaming carefully over Kaiba's face.

"They're contacts." Kaiba growled, not caring if the man misunderstood him, and he quickly stepped past him out the door.

"Ah," The owner nodded, "You kids these days, well if it helps, I think you look great with those blue contacts on! Have a great day!"

Kaiba could feel his eyelids twitching as he forced a smile, and the owner waved merrily, letting the door swing heavily shut. Kaiba heard it clicking loudly as it locked, and he half-jogged away from the dumpsters. Reaching the street, he doubled over, almost gagging. The bags swung heavily against his legs and Kaiba could feel the heat from the food seeping through the paper, stinging his fingers.

There was still an enormous line of people wrapped around the building and Kaiba was secretly thankful he had managed to avoid the wait. He approached his car and pulled the door open, carefully placing the bags of food in the footwell of the passenger's seat. He glanced at his watch quickly, realizing that the entire exchange had taken almost an hour of his time.

Cursing, Kaiba slid into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking spot, speeding away towards the Kame Game Shop, wondering if Yami would be angry.

* * *

Yami sat down on the stool behind the counter, mindlessly staring out the door, tapping the glass, bored. He glanced up at the clock, watching the minute hands tick by rhythmically, wondering where Hiro was. He had sent him a text almost an hour and a half ago. Frowning, Yami flicked his phone on, scrolling through their messages, re-reading them. There wasn't anything there that he hadn't seen before.

Sighing, Yami tapped Yugi's name in his messaging app, "I invited Hiro over, and he said he was on his way, but it's been nearly two hours. Should I send a second message asking him if he's still coming?" and he sent it, feeling his shoulders grow heavy, watching the large bubble of text float up onto the screen.

Yami glanced out the door, watching several stragglers walk by, staring into the store, interested, but then turning away to leave. His phone buzzed loudly on the counter with Yugi's reply, "He's probably caught up in traffic. Where does he live?"

"Not very far. Near the university actually." Yami replied quickly, feeling the phone slide against the counter as typed his message. Suddenly he heard the loud roar of a sports car echoing up the street, and Yami lifted his head up eagerly, just in time to catch a white blur of silver and chrome whizzing past the shop.

He stood up excitedly just as his phone buzzed again. Yami looked down, reading Yugi's reply, "Yea that's kinda weird. Maybe text him again, or just ask him when you see him."

Yami clicked his phone shut nervously as he heard footsteps approaching from the outside, and he rushed to the front, running straight into Hiro who was right by the door carefully balancing two large bags in each hand.

"Hiro!" Yami cried stepping back to let him in through the doorway. Reaching forwards to grab a bag from his hands Yami paused, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked up into Hiro's face.

Yami felt his breath stop in his chest as he noticed Hiro had taken the time to style his hair differently today. His bangs had been pulled upwards, revealing a sloping masculine brow, and the tips of his hair were twisted stylishly across the top of his head. Somehow, he'd managed to look even taller.

Kaiba glanced down at Yami who was staring at him wide-eyed, opening and closing his mouth like a gaping goldfish. He smirked. Pushing his way past him and into the game shop, he set the heavy bags of food down on the counter.

Yami continued to stare, licking his lips dryly, suddenly not minding that Hiro had taken almost two hours to show up. If he looked this good all the time, hell, Yami figured he'd happily wait all day. He closed the door behind him, feeling it's weight hit his back slightly and he winced, still unable to take his eyes off of Hiro.

Kaiba turned around to face Yami, who was standing awkwardly by the door staring at him unblinkingly. He tilted his head playfully at Yami, "Sorry I'm late," he said flatly, watching Yami's expressions carefully.

Kaiba watched as Yami blinked rapidly and made his way over to him carefully, looking captivated by his new hair style.

"Y-Your hair!" Yami gasped, leaning himself closer towards Hiro, studying him carefully. Yami couldn't stop staring at the way Hiro's cheekbones sloped downwards so dramatically.

"Yea, what do you think?" Kaiba asked, reaching a hand up to gingerly touch his carefully waxed tips, intrigued at the foreign feeling.

"I think..." Yami swallowed nervously, unable to tear his eyes away, "I think it's great!"

Kaiba nodded and gestured towards the bags of food on the counter, "Where can I put these? The owner gave me enough to feed thirty people."

Yami turned his gaze to the counter and his jaw dropped again, "What? How?" he stammered, his voice didn't seem to want to cooperate with him.

"Well," Hiro said slowly, crossing his arms in a very Kaiba-esque way, "Funny story, if you care to hear it."

"O-Of course, please tell me!" Yami choked, gripping the counter tightly, staring deeply into Hiro's dark brown eyes, suddenly noticing the prominent dark circles under his eyes.

"The owner's daughter was wandering around outside; everyone was ignoring her. All I did was help her back inside, and well, this happened." Kaiba gestured towards the stack of bento boxes tied neatly in the large paper bags.

Yami jutted up on his tip-toes trying to peer into the bags. Since the edges were so high up, they were taller than he was. A wonderfully pleasant smell of teriyaki beef and fried chicken wafted up from the bags, causing Yami's mouth to water. "That smells so good!" Yami cried happily, eagerly reaching for one, and Kaiba quickly reached in as well, helping Yami lift the bento box out without spilling.

Yami blushed as he felt Hiro's hand brush over his and he gripped the bento tightly, setting it onto the counter.

Kaiba paid no attention. He was busy rummaging around the bags, pleasantly surprised that the bentos were labeled with small stickers.

"Which one did you get?" Kaiba asked, leaning over Yami's shoulder, looking at his bento for the sticker.

"N-Not sure!" Yami said, louder than he intended, and he cleared his throat awkwardly, turning the bento over in his hands.

"Look on the side," Kaiba instructed, turning another bento over, checking for the label, "It should say beef, chicken, or fish...or?" Kaiba's voice trailed off as he continued to pull more options out of the bag.

Yami picked his bento up and inspected the sides closely, and indeed there was a small handwritten label on the side, it read, "chicken, rice, gyoza".

"Oh!" Yami exclaimed, surprised, "I've got chicken," and he looked towards Hiro who was setting them out on the counter, organizing them intelligently in alphabetical order.

"What are you doing?" Yami asked, biting back a laugh.

"Sorting them." Kaiba said shortly, setting aside a two beef bentos for himself and Mokuba. "I'll be taking these two. You can have the rest."

"What?!" Yami said incredulously, his eyes darting up and down the large stack of bentos, mentally counting them; there were about six in each stack, and Hiro had sorted them into two equal stacks, making it a total of twelve bentos.

"Your...friends can have them." Kaiba said roughly, regretting those words immediately as soon as they left his mouth.

Yami opened his mouth to argue, but his phone rang loudly as if on cue, and Yami grabbed it quickly, thankful he could bide his time forming an excuse. He glanced at the screen, realizing it was Yugi. He quickly slid the call button across and answered it with ease, keeping his eyes fixed on Hiro who was looking around the shop curiously.

"Yugi!" Yami cried, almost desperately, "Are you hungry?!"

"Actually, yea!" Yugi laughed, "Good timing, I was just about to ask you! Want me to bring some lunch back for us? Joey, Anzu, and Tristan are coming over too, just a heads up!"

"No Aibou," Yami said hastily, eyeing the stack of monstrous bentos on the counter, "Hiro brought food, a lot of it. So come home and help us finish it!"

Kaiba kept his gazed fixed on the stack of chessboards in the corner of the shop, and he walked over to it, wondering what he'd gotten himself into now.

_The whole dweeb gang is going to show up_, Kaiba thought angrily, _and any chances I have for a peaceful afternoon with Yami are now gone. _

Yami watched Hiro lean forward and inspect the chessboards on the shelf as Yugi chatted happily with the others in the background, "Um, Joey wants to know what kind of food?" Yugi said breathlessly.

Yami furrowed his brow and spun a bento around, looking for the name of the restaurant on the label. There was none. "Hold on, Aibou, I'll ask Hiro." Yami said seriously, and Kaiba flinched when he heard Yami call his name.

Slowly turning around to face him, Kaiba attempted a smile, "Yes?"

"What was the name of this restaurant?" Yami asked, tilting his head curiously, "My friends want to know."

_Fuck! They are coming over!_ Kaiba fumed privately, but what came out of his mouth was, "I believe they're called Bento no Tengoku." he said, trying not to make direct eye contact.

Yami smiled at him lightly, and went back to the phone.

Kaiba turned back around to glare darkly at the chess boards, thinking, _Why does he smile at me so much when I look like this, but he can't spare a smile for me as Seto Kaiba?!_

Yami raised the phone back to his ear and spoke, "Bento no Tengoku, was the name-" the rest of Yami's sentence was cut off by the hysterical screaming coming out from the other end.

"Whaaaaaat?! He WHAT?! WHERE?!" Yami could hear Anzu and Joey yelling fervently at Yugi, asking him to repeat the restaurant name. Yugi repeated the name faintly and more screaming ensued. Annoyed, Yami winced and pulled the phone away from his face, looking towards Hiro who seemed to be staring resolutely at the wall.

"Why are they so surprised?" Yami asked, aiming the question at Hiro.

Kaiba swallowed and answered him without turning around, "The place is apparently very famous, but their lines are ridiculously long."

Just as Hiro responded, Yami could hear Tristan and Joey yelling in the background about two hour waits just to get in through the doors of the restaurant.

Yami's head suddenly grew very light, and he felt dizzy. _Hiro waited in a two hour line for this food?!_ _Perhaps that's why Hiro was so late in coming to see him today!...No, that wasn't what he said! He said he helped the owner's daughter? Was that a lie?!_

"Yami!" Yugi's voice shocked him back to reality and Yami composed himself quickly.

"Yes, Aibou, I'm here." Yami said quickly, his face heating up.

"We're coming!" Yugi cried, "We'll be there soon! We're gonna grab milkshakes on the way back, you want one? Does Hiro want one?"

"Let me ask," Yami said numbly, pulling the phone away from his face again, he called out to Hiro. "Milkshakes are coming, which flavor do you prefer?" Yami said loudly, watching Hiro wrap his slender fingers around a small, glass pawn.

"I don't want one." Kaiba responded, irritated.

Yami nodded and spoke to Yugi quickly, "We won't be needing any, thank you Aibou."

"Kay!" Yugi said brightly, "We'll be there in about thirty minutes! See you soon! Keep those bentos warm!"

"Of course." Yami said, watching Hiro put the pawn down on the shelf and picking up the rook, "Drive safely."

The dial tone rang softly in Yami's ear and he lowered his phone down onto the counter. Stepping around the display case carefully, he made his way over to Hiro.

Kaiba was so lost in thought he didn't hear Yami approach him from behind.

Yami reached out a hand and laid it gently on Hiro's arm, causing him to jump and the rook to fall from his hand, clattering loudly across the mirrored chessboard.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Yami said, reddening a little.

Kaiba blinked, and shook his head, "It's fine." He reached out, straightening the piece and turning to face Yami fully.

"So, your friends are coming over?" Try as he might, Kaiba was unable to keep the contempt out of his voice, and Yami noticed this.

"You're unhappy about this..?" Yami asked cautiously, staring at Hiro through his spiky blond bangs.

"Well," Hiro sighed and crossed his arms again, "Honestly, I thought it would just be the two of us today."

"Oh..." Yami swallowed nervously and felt his blush deepen, "I'm sorry, I thought so too."

"Don't worry about it." Kaiba said roughly, walking back over to the counter, staring at the stack of bentos, wondering how he could make the situation worth his while. He leaned against the counter, weighing his options, wondering how far he could push Yami before the others arrived.

Yami's eyes traveled around the shop nervously. His gaze landed on the glass chess pieces scattered across the mirrored chess board, and he was struck with an idea.

"Hiro," Yami said nervously, eyeing Hiro's back which was still turned to him,"I'll make it up to you."

Kaiba suppressed a snort and gripped the counter tightly, "How are you going to do that?" He asked almost spitefully.

"How about a game of chess?" Yami suggested, approaching him with a devious smile,"I can teach you!"

Kaiba felt his intestines curl unpleasantly again, and he berated himself for lying so poorly. "I'm not sure." He said, hoping Yami wouldn't push the subject, but Yami wasn't so easily deterred.

"In return, perhaps you could show me how to...bake something?" Yami asked hopefully, wishing Hiro would turn around and smile at him.

Yami watched Hiro lean on the counter, looking thoughtful, and Yami's eyes roamed up to his hair again, suddenly feeling an urge to run his hands through it, just to mess it up.

Kaiba frowned, feeling a headache coming on,"Fine. One game of chess." He said shortly, hoping to appease Yami.

Suddenly, the door jingled merrily behind them and Yami whirled around quickly to greet the customer. A tall man with blonde hair and intense, clear blue eyes stood apprehensively by the door, his eyes darting around the room curiously.

Kaiba took one look at this man and a wave of rage shook his entire body. It was the maitre d' from the restaurant . Unsure if Yami would remember this man, Kaiba turned around slowly to catch a glimpse of Yami's face.

Yami was staring at the stranger with a mixture of curiosity and wonderment, his mouth parted slightly with surprise, his adam's apple jumping in this throat.

Kaiba recognized this look and it caused his rage to rise even higher, threatening to spill out in the form of insults as he watched the man who was standing there cordially, waiting to be invited in.

Yami's voice caught in his throat as he immediately recognized the handsome blue-eyed man from the restaurant. "Welcome in...!" Yami managed, not saying the entire greeting properly. "May I help you find something?"

The man smiled charmingly and responded, "I'm looking for a present for my niece, and I know she comes in here all the time. Actually..." The man paused and gave Yami the once over, raking his eyes up and down over Yami's thin frame. Kaiba felt his blood boil dangerously as he saw this. "...You must be Yugi! She's a huge fan, talks about you all the time!" the man continued, his smile showing no signs of fading.

Yami blinked and smiled back gently, wondering nervously if he ought to correct the man, fearing it would be rude right off the bat since he was a paying customer who had just walked in.

"I see." Yami said simply, waiting for the man to continue.

Kaiba swallowed his anger, fuming._ So, Yami will correct me whenever I call him Yugi, but this man can waltz in here, calling him Yugi left and right, and he'll just take it?! This is disgusting! _Kaiba forced himself to take in a breath and hold it, fearing that if he kept breathing fire would come out of his nostrils.

"Well. I'm here to purchase a few cards for her. I'm not quite sure which, but perhaps you could help me pick out a few!" the man said, laughing cheerfully, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes.

Yami nodded silently, walking around Hiro to resume his position behind the counter, and gestured the man further inside. Kaiba leaned away from the counter, staring the maitre d' down as hard as he could.

The man didn't notice and brushed past Hiro blithely, engaging Yami in a conversation about his niece's favorite card archetypes.

Kaiba stepped back from the counter, horrified and furious, watching Yami's expression light up as the man mentioned his niece really enjoyed playing magicians in her deck.

Yami smiled brightly at the man, and pointed into the glass case, suggesting several cards that would compliment her magicians, and Kaiba felt disgust curl in his stomach as the man smiled back even brighter, laughing and winking at Yami.

Yami was dazzled. He was dimly aware of Hiro hovering a few feet away, watching their entire exchange, but Yami didn't care. This man had the most clear blue eyes he had ever seen, and what's more, they were kind and gentle.

"I'll be taking those then," he said, nodding at Yami, agreeing with all of his suggestions.

Yami nodded, unable to speak, and he pulled them carefully out of the glass case, handing them across the counter. The man smiled brilliantly at him again, and his fingers brushed over the top of Yami's hand quickly as he took the cards from him.

Yami swallowed and felt himself blush inadvertently at the sudden contact. He ducked his head down, slightly embarrassed, "What will you be paying with today?" Yami asked quietly, turning to busy himself at the register.

Kaiba noticed everything. Kaiba noticed the man purposely brushing his fingers across Yami's hand. Kaiba noticed Yami blushing and looking away. He was flipping shit, internally screaming but fully aware that he couldn't do anything about it without coming off as completely crazy.

"Let's do cash," the man said, flipping open his wallet, handing Yami the exact amount in a few bills.

"Thank you." Yami said automatically, picking the bills up from the man's palm, his fingers brushing against the warmth of the stranger's hand. Yami quickly placed the money in the register and walked around the counter, gesturing towards the door. "Please come again, I hope your niece will enjoy her gift!"

"Yes, I think she will." The man chuckled lightly, his cerulean eyes twinkling at Yami pleasantly. Yami gazed back into his eyes, slightly lovestruck.

Kaiba felt like vomiting. He couldn't take it anymore. He cleared his throat loudly and crossed his arms across his chest firmly, staring daggers into the man who was pointedly ignoring him, gazing resolutely back into Yami's large violet eyes.

"You know what," the man said slowly, "I actually remember you. You came into our restaurant, yesterday, wasn't it?"

Yami's mouth dropped open with surprise, "Yes..?" his voice raised at the end forming a question. Kaiba clenched and unclenched his fists. If this man wasn't going to leave, he was about to remove him from the game shop himself.

"Well you may not remember me, but I remember you clearly," the blue-eyed man continued, brushing his blonde bangs out of his eyes seductively, "I'd like to thank you for helping me out so much. Here take this." The man slipped a long piece of paper from his back pocket and pressed it firmly into Yami's hand without breaking eye contact.

Kaiba glared at the stranger's hand which was so carelessly holding onto Yami's and he had a sudden, horrible, violent image of him ripping the man's arm off and beating him with it until he was bloody in his handsome, smiling, blonde face.

Yami felt his stomach flutter nervously as the beautiful stranger reached down to grab his hand and warmly press the slip of paper into his palm.

"Come in anytime. I'll gladly seat you in our best spot!" the man said, winking at Yami again, and he let go of his hand, striding confidently past Hiro and out the door.

Kaiba could've sworn the man smirked at him as he brushed past. Trembling with rage he looked down at Yami, who was standing very still, clutching the piece of paper tightly in his hand, staring at the door.

Kaiba dropped all pretenses and grabbed the slip of paper from Yami, "What is this?!" he said roughly, turning the paper over in his hand.

Startled, Yami put his hand down and watched Hiro inspect the paper, visibly angry.

Kaiba studied the slip carefully, noting that it was a voucher for a free meal at the bistro, and his blood ran cold when Kaiba saw the man's phone number written on the back of the slip, in neat, round little numbers.

"What is it?" Yami asked, swallowing nervously. He'd never seen Hiro this angry before, and quite frankly, it was scary. Especially since his hair was brushed upwards, no longer covering his forehead. His brow was furrowed together so tightly, and his usually kind brown eyes were narrowed threateningly down at the slip of paper; it was a terrifying sight to see.

_A free meal and his fucking phone number?!_ Kaiba seethed, almost wrinkling the slip in his grasp. _I'll show that bastard who the fuck he's messing with. He even pulled it out of his back pocket, not his wallet, which means he came in here with the intent of asking Yami out. I'm standing here right in front of him and he had the nerve..._

"Hiro?" Yami repeated, it seemed like he hadn't heard him.

"I'm keeping this." Hiro said gruffly, swiftly folding the voucher in half and slipping it into his wallet, deciding to burn it later in the privacy of his office.

"Oh...of course." Yami stammered, frowning slightly, "But, what was it?"

"Don't worry about it." Kaiba growled through clenched teeth, glaring furiously at the doorway, almost wishing the stranger would come back into the store just so he could take a swing at his stupid blonde face.

Yami's frown deepened as he watched Hiro stiffen with anger, "I'd like to at least know what it was before you take it." Yami said, shaking his head, "Or give it back."

Fury clouded Kaiba's mind and he forgot who he was for a moment. He curled his mouth up into a sneer and loomed threateningly over Yami. "It's mine now." he spat viciously, "And if you really want to know, it was his phone number. So no, you can't have it back."

Yami stepped back suddenly as Hiro towered over him, his back bumping painfully into the edge of the counter. "His phone number?" Yami asked faintly, his ears humming strangely. Hiro looked positively evil under the shop's lights, his handsome features were twisted into an ugly sneer. A row of white teeth glinted threateningly at Yami, as he backed himself harder into the counter.

"Yes." Hiro hissed, taking another step closer to him, unaware that Yami was already backed all the way up against the counter, "You seem to like him a whole lot having only known him for all of two seconds. You have a thing for strangers, don't you?" Kaiba accused, watching Yami's eyes dart around his face frantically.

"Tell me," Kaiba insisted, pushing himself closer, the plastic from the bento bags crinkled threateningly as Yami's elbow bumped into them, "What is it you like about him?"

"I..." Yami faltered, staring directly into Hiro's chest, unable to look him in the eye, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the shiny silk lapels of Hiro's blazer.

"Well?" Kaiba snapped, waiting for a reply, resolving not to back away until he heard an answer from Yami.

"I...he-his eyes, they remind me of...someone." Yami stumbled on his words, feeling his tongue swell heavily with emotion.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes even further, "Who." he said darkly, grinding his teeth in anticipation of Yami's answer.

Yami swallowed thickly and his vision shifted back and forth; his eyes burned with embarrassment as he whispered, "Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba felt blood rush painfully into his head. _What the fucking hell?!_ His angry stance broke and Kaiba wavered for a moment, his arms hanging down at his sides. _So, here I am, standing in front of him dressed as Hiro with all of my combined efforts, and here he is, telling me a stranger reminds him ...of me._

"Why?" Kaiba felt the question leave his lips before he could stop himself.

Yami drew in a shuddering gasp, trying to remain calm, "I just...I'm connected to him, Hiro."

"Oh really," Kaiba said furiously, recalling Yami's behavior last night, disagreeing with that statement. "So, where does that leave me?"

Yami looked desperately up into Hiro's dark brown eyes which were still narrowed into threatening slits, "You mean a lot to me too!" he cried, his concern rising as he realized Hiro was still very angry. It was staring to scare him.

"I don't believe you." Kaiba scoffed, purposely pushing Yami away with his words. He knew this phrase would trigger something hurtful in Yami, as he knew how much Yami valued trust in his relationships.

Yami's eyes widened and he blinked, visibly shaken, "Please believe me. I've done things with you, I couldn't imagine...myself...doing with anyone else." Yami struggled to find the right words as his heart thumped loudly in his chest, his body was strangely numb.

"Things." Kaiba repeated, smirking, allowing himself to enjoy Yami's distress. "What kind of things?"

Yami looked down at his shoes and said nothing, suddenly realizing how close they were standing together.

_I win_, Kaiba thought maliciously. "What things?" he repeated, lowering the tone of his voice.

Yami noticed Hiro sounded gentle once again, wondering if he was forgiven and he lifted his head curiously just as Hiro's lips came crashing down onto his, their teeth bumping against each other painfully.

Kaiba reached a hand up to press Yami closer into him, threading his fingers through his spiky tri-colored hair, forcefully slipping his tongue through Yami's parted lips, tasting him.

Yami blinked wildly, his head swimming with confusion as Hiro's tongue swirled powerfully inside of his mouth, causing his stomach to flutter. Hiro was being uncharacteristically rough!

Yami tried to pull away but Hiro tightened his grip and bit down on Yami's lower lip, hard.

Yami's eyes began to tear up in pain. _What is happening?! _Yami thought frantically, growing dizzier and weaker by the second. _If this is Hiro's idea of rough play, I'm not enjoying it! He must be extremely angry with me! _Yami shut his eyes, unable to breathe, tapping his fist along Hiro's arm, asking him to let up silently.

_ Nice try, _Kaiba thought viciously, tasting blood in his mouth. Pushing his lips down harder onto Yami's, wrapping his arms tightly around Yami, trapping his arms down at his sides.

Yami gasped audibly as Hiro pulled him into a crushing embrace and he felt his feet leave the floor. He opened his mouth to protest, but was muffled against Hiro's shoulder as he felt the counter slide under his ass. The bento boxes were shoved across the counter, and several crashed loudly onto the floor.

Hiro nudged Yami harder up onto the surface, pressing a knee tightly into his groin, causing him to cry out, "Ah..! Hir-" Yami was cut off roughly again as Hiro shoved his tongue deep into his mouth.

Hungry for more, Kaiba opened his mouth wider, pushing Yami closer into him, and he inhaled deeply, filling himself with Yami's unique scent. Yami wasn't responding as enthusiastically. He had hidden his tongue in the back of his mouth and Kaiba frowned into the kiss, dragging his thumb underneath Yami's jaw, pulling his mouth open wider.

Yami gripped Hiro's arm tightly, the scent of Hiro's cologne was suffocating him, and he dug his nails into the fabric of his blazer, attempting to shake his head. Kaiba felt Yami struggle and a monster of rage and frustration reared up in him again,

_Respond, dammit!_ Kaiba growled internally, pushing himself harder against Yami, causing the counter to creak under their combined weight. Kaiba jerked his head back suddenly and gathering all of his strength, he pulled Yami flush against his body, lifting him up off the floor and pushing him down flat onto the countertop.

Yami gasped as Hiro's weight pressed into his body and he leaned forwards, his neck straining, trying to catch his breath. Yami attempted to glare at him, gripping his shoulders tightly as Hiro leaned in to nibble his collarbone lightly.

Yami felt the room spin as Hiro licked and sucked diligently on his neck, alternating between tongue and teeth, it felt so ticklish and erotic all at once, and Yami's breathing grew ragged.

Kaiba smirked as he saw this and latched onto that particular area and began sucking and teasing the spot, enjoying the taste of Yami's hot skin beneath his teeth.

A low, guttural moan escaped from Yami's lips, and the sound reverberated through Kaiba's body, landing directly into groin. Kaiba hardened instantly and he felt his body beginning to heat up as his erection strained painfully against the fabric of his jeans.

Yami shivered when Hiro's hot breath passed gently across his skin, his teeth scraping him slightly, and Yami leaned his head back unwittingly, silently asking for more.

Kaiba felt Yami relax in his embrace, and he purposely pulled back, looking deep into Yami's eyes. He smiled as gently as he could, "I know I'm being rough," he said hoarsely, "But really, I can't help myself."

_And that is the truth_, Kaiba thought adamantly to himself.

Yami struggled to maintain eye contact with Hiro as his vision began sliding in and out of focus, "I-It's okay..." he managed.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Yami, wondering if he should continue pushing him, "It's okay?" he repeated, "Is that really okay?"

"Yes," Yami said, smiling back at him. He leaned forwards and brushed his nose gently across Hiro's.

Kaiba blinked, startled.

Yami reached up and threw his arms around Hiro's neck, pulling him down on top of him. The back of Yami's head hit the counter painfully as pulled Hiro down with him.

Kaiba lost his balance. His arm shooting out to brace against the surface of the counter, steadying himself and hovering over Yami.

Kaiba's boner was sticking painfully into the edge of the counter and he winced. Yami noticed this and quickly sat back up, flushing and apologizing profusely, "I'm sorry, did that hurt?"

"I'm ...fine." Kaiba groaned, lowering his head to look down at himself.

Yami's eyes followed, and he flushed even deeper when he saw Hiro's bulge straining uncomfortably in his pants. "Oh," Yami said quietly, blinking rapidly, unable to look away.

Kaiba felt his blood boil dangerously and he pushed himself back on top of Yami, overcome with a sense of vicious satisfaction when he felt Yami wrap his legs around his waist. Kaiba felt his elbows shake in an effort to restrain himself as he hovered tantalizingly over Yami, who was laying obediently beneath him, his blond bangs falling away from his face.

_If only he knew,_ Kaiba thought darkly, before leaning down and capturing Yami's lips in his, gently at first, but then roughly pressing his teeth along Yami's tongue, which was sliding into his mouth boldly.

Kaiba slowly lifted a hand off the counter and slid it slowly up Yami's shirt, feeling Yami shiver at his touch. Kaiba pushed Yami's shirt up slightly on one side, brushing his thumb lightly over Yami's nipple, feeling it perk up with excitement.

Yami's grip tightened around his neck and he felt hands begin to roam upwards into his hair.

_Yes,_ Kaiba nodded into the kiss, his nose bumping into Yami's cheek. _Grab my hair. Pull it, pull at it like you want me._

He felt another breathy moan escape from Yami's lips which got muffled between them as Kaiba kissed Yami deeply again, rhythmically rocking his knee against Yami's groin, feeling his erection rub through the fabric.

Yami gasped at the pressure from Hiro's knee digging into his crotch, his lungs filling with Hiro's sweet breath. Kaiba pinched Yami's nipple triumphantly, enjoying all of the new reactions he was eliciting from Yami.

They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't hear the shop door jingle as the Yugi gang entered, carrying handfuls of milkshakes. Everyone stood still, thunderstruck, trying to process what they were seeing. Yami was sitting up on the counter, his legs wrapped around a tall, well dressed figure, who had his hand up Yami's shirt, making out with the stranger furiously.

Yugi dropped his milkshake onto the floor, and it splattered everywhere, spilling across Tristan's shoes and seeping into his socks.

"Oh fuck! Yugi! These are new!" Tristan yelped, dancing awkwardly on his toes, shaking his feet, balancing his drink in his hand.

Kaiba yanked his head back forcefully, feeling Yami's hands slide out of his hair. He quickly withdrew his hand out from under Yami's shirt, his blood rushing powerfully through his veins, causing his ears to ring.

Yami blinked, dazed.  
"Hello." he said calmly, keeping his legs wrapped tightly around Hiro, attempting to hide both of their erections.

No one responded. It was just stares and mouths hanging open.

Anzu spoke first, "Okay, guys, we're going to step outside for two minutes, and you two better be fucking presentable when we come back in."

Yami swallowed nervously. He'd never heard Anzu use such rough language, especially in the presence of unfamiliar company. Yami quickly unhooked his legs off from around Hiro's hips as the gang exited the shop quickly, slamming the door behind them. He stared at the puddle of Yugi's spilled milkshake pooling around the door frame, realizing that he was going to be the one who would be cleaning that up later.

Kaiba's eyes darted between the door, and Yami's sullen expression, aware that he had fucked up badly. The friendship girl had just used the "f" word, and that probably meant something bad. Abort. Mission abort.

"I'm sorry." Hiro said quickly, looking genuinely abashed, "I'll leave immediately, after I help you clean that up."

"You really don't have to," Yami said hoarsely, "I'm the one ..that should've...I didn't stop us."

Kaiba shook his head, feeling his face burn with anger and embarrassment, "Throw me some paper towels. I'll take care of it and you can pick those up." Kaiba pointed at the bentos laying face down on the floor behind the counter, immensely grateful that the lids had remained intact and no food had actually spilled out onto the floor.

Too distressed to argue, Yami nodded and ran through the hallway leading into the house, not bothering to take his shoes off. He grabbed the paper towels off the kitchen counter, and wrapped large handful around his fist, wetting it under the sink for good measure, knowing that the milkshake would leave a sticky residue.

He rushed back out to the shop, dismayed but secretly pleased that Hiro had picked the bentos up and stacked them neatly together once again. "I thought you said..." Yami started, but Hiro shook his head quickly at him, motioning for the paper towels.

Understanding his urgency, Yami split the handful in half, handing Hiro a huge wad. They rushed to the door, dabbing at the liquid which was quickly drying in the summer heat. Kaiba cleaned the mess up easily, accustomed to swiftly tidying up when he was at the bakery, secretly thinking that this was the best skill he'd picked up yet.

Yami watched in amazement as Hiro's large hands swept over the mess, expertly soaking up most of it. It was clear to Yami that Hiro did manual labor quite often while working at the bakery and he couldn't help but feel slightly impressed.

Kaiba silently reached his hand out for the wet towels which were hanging limply from Yami's fingers. He was aware that Yami was staring at him intently as he cleaned, and Kaiba lifted his head, smiling gently at Yami. "Hey," he said softly, brushing his nose across Yami's bangs, enjoying the feeling of Yami's soft hair against his bare forehead, "I'll see you again, okay? Don't worry about this too much."

Yami lowered his head slightly, unsure of how to respond. Kaiba leaned in playfully pressing his lips lightly against Yami's. Briefly enjoying their softness for a millisecond, before backing away and pulling the towels out from Yami's hand. He slapped them onto the floor wetly and began wiping up the sticky trails of milkshake.

Yami sat back on his heels, stunned, and a warm feeling surged up from his chest as his heart soared.

They heard voices, and the shadow of many legs appeared behind the door, seeping in through the crack underneath as the gang milled around the entrance.

Anzu shouted through the door, "We're coming in!"

Quickly glancing around the shop, Kaiba spied a garbage can in the corner nearby and he lobbed the soaking wet wad of paper towels at the bin with precision. Yami watched as it soared in an arch impressively, slapping loudly against the side of the bin as it slid slowly down to the bottom.

Kaiba straightened up and held a hand out to Yami, offering to help him up. Yami smiled up at him, a beautiful, genuine smile, and grasped his hand warmly. Kaiba felt his chest tighten and he pulled Yami to his feet, feeling him stumble forwards slightly from the strength of his grasp.

The door swung open just as Yami's shoulder bumped against his lightly, and sunlight streamed in towards Kaiba's face, almost blinding him. He gripped Yami's hand tightly, not letting him go.

Kaiba needed everyone to see, that this was what was happening. Yami was his, and he wasn't going anywhere. He saw Yugi's eyes trail from their shoulders down to their hands, the other three did the same, but not as silently.

"We're hungry, so maybe we can talk about this after we eat?" Joey spoke up hopefully, his question directed more towards Anzu than anyone else.

Tristan raised his voice up to a whine, "Ahhhh I dunno guys, Yugi owes me a new pair of shoes. Or Yami does. Either way, someone is getting me new shoes."

Anzu opened her mouth to speak, but Kaiba cut across her intentionally, "I'll be getting you new shoes."

Everyone paused to stare at him, and Kaiba felt himself sweat. He clenched his fists, his hand tightening around Yami's and he viciously reminded himself to stay in character.

"...Bro." Kaiba added halfheartedly, glancing down at Yami who was standing silently beside him, his gaze fixed on something in the distance.

"Uh huh." Anzu said coldly, crossing her arms across her chest, "And-"

"And I will be leaving now." Kaiba said, attempting to keep his tone even, knowing that the longer he stuck around, the harder it was going to be for Yami later on. "Please enjoy the food." and he abruptly let go of Yami's hand and pushed his way past Joey and Yugi, suddenly missing the rush of his coat tails behind him after doing so.

The group watched Hiro walk away slowly and disappear around the corner.

Anzu immediately rounded on Yami, "What was that?! Are you seriously doing_ that_, in your shop, in the middle of the day, with a guy you just met, literally 3 days ago?"

"Anzu...it's okay," Yugi begged, eyeing Yami carefully, aware of how tense everyone was feeling at the moment.

"I'm okay with it." Tristan shrugged, "If I'm getting a new pair of shoes out of it, who's to say no?"

"Yea lucky you," Anzu responded sarcastically. "Because that's the real problem here."

There was a silence as they waited for Yami to speak up.

"There is no problem." Yami said softly, not making eye contact with anyone.

Anzu sighed, looking at Yami with a bit of pity in her eyes, "I hate to tell you this, but there are some guys out there who just...don't care enough about you."

"I don't know what you mean." Yami replied numbly, feeling the ground give way beneath him.  
"He cares about me."

"Anzu, I don't think you're in the position to say anything..." Yugi began, blinking nervously.

"You're right, I'm not." Anzu scoffed, "But _I _care about you, Yami, so I'm going to say this to you as many times as you need to hear it. Some guys, just want to have sex with you, okay?"

Joey and Tristan groaned loudly and pushed past Yami into the shop, noisily digging around in the bags of food, yelling at each other about what type of meat they wanted.

Anzu stood resolutely before Yami and placed her hands on her hips, "I know what I'm talking about. And tell me if any of this sounds right. You don't even know the first thing about him, but everything you do with him feels "right"."

"Anzu..." Yugi begged, "Lay off...Yami really likes him."

"I know." Anzu said darkly, almost glaring at Yami, "And that's the problem. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? Suddenly we're, like, having lunch with him almost every day? He's bringing us this food from a restaurant that requires a 2 hour wait?! Can we talk about how he just offered to buy Tristan a new pair of shoes?!"

Tristan heard his name and yelled out with his mouth full, "Again, no complaints!" and continued shoving food into his mouth.

Yugi looked helplessly between Anzu and Yami, and he shoved his hands into his pockets for a lack of anything else to do.

"Tell me Yami," Anzu continued shrilly, "Have you had sex with him?"

Joey and Tristan began coughing and choking loudly into their food and Yugi shuffled his feet, turning a bright pink.

"I haven't." Yami lied, feeling the ground tilt and shift beneath him violently.

"Well I'll tell you what happens if and when you do end up having sex with him." Anzu said, her voice echoing through the game shop, "He'll leave you. Because that's it. He had his fun. You think he'll stick around now, because he's doing all these nice things for you." Anzu gestured at the boxes of food. "But I know guys like this. They can turn the charm on and off faster than you can say "I love you" and once you've given them what they want, they're gone."

Yami felt the air around him grow thick and he had trouble drawing his next breath as Hiro's ugly sneer flashed across his mind, followed by the ghostly sensation of Hiro's hands shoved up his shirt.

Yugi spoke up timidly, "Anzu, how do you know all this? You can't say that about someone we barely know. This isn't something you can predict."

"I can say this _because_ we barely know him!" Anzu said, exasperated. "Think about it Yugi-"

"Stop." Yami commanded, his voice wavering slightly as his vision blurred at the corners, and he turned around quickly, making his way past Joey and Tristan who were still eating noisily.

Yami stormed through the hallway into the house, half running up the stairs,he almost tripped on the final step as he stumbled into his room. He weakly shut the door behind himself and made his way over to the bed, shaking.

He sunk down into the mattress heavily, Anzu's words echoing painfully around in his head, "_He can turn the charm on and off...once he's had his fun...because he's doing all these nice things for you...everything you do with him feels "right" ..."_

Yami threw himself back onto the bed, glaring at the ceiling. Hot tears leaked from the edges of his eyes and dripped backwards, down across his temples and past his ears. _Hiro _is _charming, _Yami thought miserably, _but that's who he is. He was angry at my behavior towards the restaurant server who came in. He gave me a phone number..._

Yami sat up and gripped his knees tightly, staring down at the floor, _I suppose it's understandable that Hiro would feel jealous, because we're human. _

Yami leaned back into the pillows again and at stared the tree outside his window, casting a shadow into the room. He felt his mind shut off as he drifted into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

Kaiba got into the driver's seat of his car and sat behind the wheel, fuming. The air in the cabin was becoming unbearably hot and Kaiba shrugged his blazer off furiously.

_That friendship girl is probably going to rag on Yami for kissing a stranger he just met_, Kaiba growled, fully aware that Anzu had been giving him the stink eye since day one. He turned the engine on and it roared to life loudly, the sound matching his rage.

_What the hell am I supposed to do? Buyout the whole peanut gallery?! _Kaiba thought savagely, as he pulled away from the game shop and onto the freeway. _I've already given them all free phones, what the fuck else do they want?!_

Kaiba merged rudely in front of another vehicle without signaling, their horn blaring loudly at him from behind. _Well shit, I did that as Seto Kaiba didn't I. _

He merged recklessly again, stepping down vehemently on the pedal._ So, what, am I going to have to bake these dweebs a friendship cake? To prove that I'm a trustworthy individual?_

His pockets buzzed vigorously and Kaiba slowed the vehicle down, shifting himself in an attempt to get at whichever phone was ringing. They both were. Cursing, Kaiba finessed both phones out from his pants pockets while balancing the wheel with opposite hands. One call was from Mokuba, the other, was from Yami.

Growling, Kaiba tossed his Hiro phone aside and answered Mokuba's call. "What." he snapped into the receiver.

"Seto, one of the tutors called in sick, so I don't really have anything else left to do for today." Mokuba said quickly. Kaiba pulled off the freeway and stopped at a light, sighing heavily. "Okay kiddo, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I-I don't know?" Mokuba stammered, "I was hoping I could spend the day with you..? Unless you're not out on a d-date...are you?"

Kaiba grit his teeth and stepped on the gas again as the light turned green, he was nearing the mansion, "No, Mokuba, I'm not out on a _date_." He spat the word out distastefully, remembering the grinning face of the annoyingly handsome blonde from the restaurant. _The restaurant! The voucher._ Kaiba suddenly had a wicked idea.

"Mokuba are you hungry?" Kaiba said, knowing the answer fully.

"Yes?" Mokuba said hesitantly, "Are you gonna make something for us? It's a little late for lunch isn't it?"

Kaiba laughed, catching Mokuba off guard, "Actually, I was thinking about taking you out somewhere. You'd like this place Mokuba." Kaiba said, checking his rear view mirror before merging again.

"O-okay big brother! I'll get ready! Is it a nice restaurant? Should we wear something fancy?" Mokuba asked, his voice raising hopefully.

"Yes," Kaiba said fiendishly, "Let's wear something fancy."

"I can't wait!" Mokuba exclaimed, "So when are you coming home?"

"Right now," Kaiba said smoothly, pulling into the driveway of the mansion. He saw Isono peer through the curtain on the top floor and he stuck his hand out his window, waving him away. The silhouette of Isono nodded and disappeared into the house.

"Oh awesome!" Mokuba cried, "I'll get dressed super quick!" and he hung up the phone.

Kaiba stepped out of his car, smirking. He slammed the door and made his way up the steps, knowing he was going to enjoy dinner at the bistro very much.

* * *

Yugi and Anzu peeked into the room, noticing Yami had fallen asleep with his shoes still on. They tiptoed towards him and Anzu nodded at Yugi. Yugi carefully pinched the phone out of Yami's pocket and they exited the room quietly, closing the door behind themselves.

They made their way downstairs and Yugi unlocked Yami's phone, realizing he hadn't set up a password yet. "I don't know about this Anzu," Yugi said worriedly, feeling guilty about prying into Yami's personal belongings.

"If you agree with me, even in the slightest, then you'll know this is the right thing to do." Anzu said seriously, reaching for the phone. Yugi let her take it out of his hands and watched her frown as she flicked through Yami's messages.

"Wow, they don't even talk much. That's somehow even worse." Anzu said, lowering her voice as a pit of dread settled in her stomach.

"What? How?" Yugi asked shrilly, peering over her shoulder to look onto the screen.

"That means they're saying and doing everything in person." Anzu said darkly, "Look, 'meet me at...' and 'can't wait to see you..', 'come visit me tomorrow'."

Yugi looked away quickly, his face reddening again, "That doesn't mean anything. You don't know that it does."

"Well this is how I'm going to find out." Anzu said resolutely, tapping Hiro's name in the contacts bar and putting it on speakerphone. The phone rang loudly through the empty living room. The sounds of Joey and Tristan smacking their lips obnoxiously were muffled by the doorway separating the hallway from the shop.

The phone rang though to an automated message, dictating that the user's mailbox had not been set up yet.

Anzu glowered at Yugi, almost triumphantly, "See? This jerk won't even let you leave a message. His voicemail hasn't even been set up."

"Well maybe it's a new phone!" Yugi insisted, "Yami's voice mailbox isn't set up either."

"Yami is Yami," Anzu said, "You know how he is with tech, especially phones. This Hiro guy doesn't strike me as particularly dumb or air headed."

Yugi hung his head and his shoulders sagged, "I dunno Anzu, how exactly do you want to do this? It's really none of our business."

"Then you stay out of it Yugi." Anzu said brutally, "I'll get to the bottom of this, and I won't say anything to anyone until I know something for sure."

Yugi nodded dejectedly and took the phone out of Anzu's hand. He trudged back up the stairs and put the phone back into Yami's pocket.

* * *

Kaiba and Mokuba stepped out of their limo and into the quaint little street, lined carefully with red brick, well-lit shops stretching down both sides of the road. People stared and whispered as they got out of their vehicle. Kaiba swept his coat behind him with a flourish, enjoying the attention. Mokuba stood next to him, enraptured by their surroundings. The large potted plants swung gently in the wind, and the flower bushes were glistening with water from the evening sprinklers.

Mokuba looked around, delighted at all the greenery, "Wow, it's so pretty here Seto, we should come here more often!"

Kaiba smirked and nodded silently, walking towards the familiar grey awning draped over a curved marble entrance. Mokuba hurried to fall into step with his older brother, "Are we eating here?" he asked excitedly, his eyes darting up and down the gold leaf decorations.

"Yes," Kaiba said, unable to keep a grin from forming across his lips.

They were greeted at the front by the attractive blonde haired and blue-eyed maitre d'.

Kaiba felt a rush of intense satisfaction as he saw the man's expression go from happy to terrified in one second.

"Hello, and welc-c," the man stammered, and he took a deep breath, composing himself. "Welcome. I will be your server today Mr. Kaiba. Your orders will be expedited by the kitchen and our manager would love to have a word with you about your meal afterwards."

Kaiba bit his tongue in an effort to keep himself from laughing out loud, watching the man wring his hands nervously, leading them into the restaurant and almost tripping on the edge of a chair leg.

_You're not so confident now, are you? _Kaiba mused sadistically, _Pull that shit again with Yami and I'll be showing up here every day. _

Mokuba frowned, watching the matire d' stumble, and he looked up at his brother, expecting a scowl, but Seto was almost smiling. Confused, Mokuba resolved to carefully watch Seto for the rest of the evening.

The maitre d' seated them on an outdoor balcony, pulling the chairs out for them with shaking hands, and fumbling the menus clumsily onto the table. "I-I'll be right back." he said, rushing away before the Kaiba brothers could manage to sit down. Mokuba watched him go, and he stood awkwardly by his chair, glancing at Seto curiously. "Um..Seto? I'm don't think this service is up to par. Are you sure we're gonna eat here?"

Kaiba grinned at Mokuba and gestured for him to sit, "Oh trust me, the food here is great. As for the service," Kaiba smiled maliciously again as he caught a glimpse of the blonde maitre d' bowing and fidgeting while speaking with the manager. "The service should be fine."

Mokuba followed Seto's eyes towards the maitre d' and understood the look on Seto's face very well. "Do you know that guy?" Mokuba asked apprehensively, sitting down in the plush chair.

Kaiba lowered himself into his seat and flipped the napkin neatly onto his lap, smirking, "Nope. He's a total stranger."

Mokuba nodded and poked at the silverware on the table, "Yea I know he's a stranger. But did he do something to upset you?"

"Yep." Kaiba responded viciously, his fingers passing into his breast pocket, flitting over the voucher the maitre d' have given to Yami.

"What're you gonna do to him?" Mokuba asked fearfully, suddenly regretting even asking.

"I haven't decided yet." Kaiba said maliciously, watching the maitre d' make his way back to their table, "Quiet, he's coming back."

Mokuba sat up straight in his seat and watched as the maitre d' returned with water and the wine menu. He placed it with a shaking hand in front of Seto, who disregarded it with a wave. Swallowing and nodding, the maitre d' pointed a trembling finger at the menu and spoke, "Our specials today a-are-"

"Go away." Kaiba snapped, peeling the menu back page by page, already knowing what he was going to order.

"Yes sir." The blonde haired man said, swimming away back to the manager with his hands in front of him, his shoulders hunched.

Mokuba furrowed his brow. Seto wasn't giving the guy a hard time like he usually did, if anything, he was being _nice. _If he really wanted to make that guy suffer, Seto wouldn't just dismiss him, he'd keep him around just to torture him, and make him explain every item on the menu.

"What should I get, Seto?" Mokuba asked, looking around carefully. He could see their limo from up here, they weren't that high up.

"I think you'll like the lasagna," Kaiba said, his eyes flashing mysteriously. "And I'll have nothing."

"What?!" Mokuba cried, unsure if he had heard Seto correctly, "Why? Aren't you hungry?"

"Not for food." Kaiba growled and the maitre d' bobbed back into sight, approaching their table meekly.

"Sirs, have you decided on a dish?" he said, pulling out a shiny, Kaiba Corporation tablet.

Mokuba saw this and his eyes widened, "You guys use our tech?"

The man blinked his clear blue eyes and nodded at Mokuba, "Yes, yes, young sir, your company's technology has been most instrumental to our restaurant's success."

Kaiba's smirk widened and he said nothing, using his silence as a weapon.

"M-Mr. Kaiba, may I please take your order?" The maitre d' said, addressing him directly, but Mokuba, knowing Seto was ordering nothing, spoke up instead, "I'll have the lasagna please."

The maitre d' broke out into a visible sweat, "Ah yes, _young_ Mr. Kaiba will have the lasagna," he tapped the order into the pad and glanced uncertainly at Seto.

Before he could ask, Kaiba spoke for the first time, "So, does that make me _old_ Mr. Kaiba?" he asked, feeling his shoulder shake from his efforts to contain his laughter,

Mokuba's jaw dropped, _was Seto joking with the maitre d'?_

"I'm so sorry!" the maitre d' stammered, "I did not mean it that way!"

Kaiba turned his unwavering gaze towards the maitre d' and kept silent, keeping a straight face. He was enjoying this very much.

"S-So, your order Mr. Kaiba?" The man stammered, brushing the hair out of his eyes in the way that Kaiba hated so much.

"I'll have nothing." Kaiba said, feeling his mouth curve upwards into a sneer.

"I-I'm sorry?" The maitre d' said, his voice barely breaking a whisper.

"You heard me," Kaiba scoffed, tossing his hair out his eyes, "Now get out of my sight."

The maitre d' bobbed nervously again and rushed towards the manager, dabbing his brow with his pocket square.

Mokuba leaned forwards across the table, keeping his voice lowered, "Seto, what exactly did he do to you?"

"He didn't do anything to me per say," Kaiba said lazily, examining his manicure irritably, realizing his nails were still chipped and he kept forgetting to get them fixed. "He was rude to Yami in front of me. This is is his punishment."

Mokuba leaned back into his seat, the answer sat strangely with him. _Seto is here for revenge on Yami's behalf? Not his own?_

"What did he do to Yami?" Mokuba swallowed, adjusting his tie stiffly, half-dreading the answer.

"I can't tell you." Kaiba said simply, sipping the water pleasantly, enjoying the fact that his mere presence was causing such distress among the staff, and the fact that he ordered nothing on top of that, was causing an even greater disturbance.

The maitre d' returned with another waitress, and they began setting several dishes onto their table. He uncovered a steaming plate of lasagna before Mokuba, and Mokuba's mouth began to water as he saw the three large meatballs sitting in the center of his plate alongside the lasagna.

They placed what looked like chicken Gruyere with sauteed mushrooms in front of Kaiba, along with several cuts of their finest roast beef, surrounded by various small dishes of salad and assorted greens. The maitre d' thunked a glass beside Kaiba's arm and began filling it heavily with red wine.

Kaiba leaned back into his chair and smirked, "We didn't order any of this." he said brusquely.

"It is on the house," the maitre d' said quickly, his arm trembling slightly as the liquid sloshed around in the glass, not looking Kaiba in the eye, "We insist you must not leave hungry. Please try our specialty dishes." While the maitre d' was speaking, he accidentally spilled a bit of wine as he lifted the bottle up. The red liquid splashed across Kaiba's sleeve, soaking into the dark fabric.

Mokuba's eyes widened as he saw this and he dropped his fork loudly on his plate, his hands covering his mouth, knowing Seto was going to explode.

The matire d' looked as if he was about to cry, and swallowed thickly, trying to find his voice. "I am _so sorry_, Mr. Kaiba, my hand was unsteady..."

Kaiba looked him directly in the eye, noting that his eyes were a much lighter blue than his own were, and he smiled as gently as he possibly could, "It's okay, really."

Mokuba felt his heart stop in his chest as he watched the exchange unfold between Seto and the maitre d'.

The waitress was standing beside him, her eyes darting back and forth between their table and the manager who was standing a few feet away. Everyone was holding their breath.

"Let me get that for you." The matire d' said, gaining some confidence after hearing the politeness in Kaiba's voice, and he reached down bravely for the napkin in Kaiba's lap.

"It's really okay," Kaiba said, keeping his smile gentle, "Look I've got it." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the voucher with his slender fingers and slowly wiped his sleeve with it, feeling the wine from the fabric soak through to the paper.

Kaiba's gentle smile turned cruel as he watched the handsome maitre d's eyes widen from shock, into horror, and then embarrassment, as Kaiba slowly used the voucher as a napkin. He made sure to use it phone number side facing up, so the man could clearly see that it was the voucher he had given Yami.

Kaiba crumpled it up after it had been completely soaked and threw it in his plate, watching it expand slowly as it touched the liquid in the food.

"That's for you." he said, grinning gleefully at the matire d's look of unabated horror. "Maybe you should take that back to the kitchen, or better yet, explain to your manager what that's doing in my food. It's disgusting. Take it away."

The matire d' stood frozen for a moment, before snapping out of it and quickly picking the plate up from the table, hurrying away. The waitress was left standing there, alone, looking extremely bewildered at the exchange. Mokuba was equally as confused, _did Seto just use a piece of paper as a napkin?_

Kaiba smirked, finally satisfied, he laced his fingers together in front of his mouth and tilted his head at Mokuba. "How's your lasagna?" he asked, noticing the waitress was still standing dumbstruck, at the edge of their table.

"It's really good Seto." Mokuba managed, staring at the dark stain on Kaiba's sleeve, "Um, do you wanna go home and change? It must be uncomfortable to have your whole sleeve be wet like that..."

The manager came rushing over to their table, dragging the waitress away by the elbow, taking her place, "Sir, we-we are so, so, sorry for that, he is our _most _professional...ah.., it'll never happen again. Please don't let it affect the rest of your evening here with us." he mumbled, eyeing Mokuba for help.

Mokuba ignored him, "We're gonna take everything to-go. And you should fire that guy."

"It will be strongly considered," the manager said, bobbing in a similar manner. He motioned for two other waitresses to gather their dishes and they floated away, leaving the table empty.

"That won't be necessary." Kaiba said, smirking evilly, "Everyone deserves a second chance. We'll come back, maybe he'll improve."

Mokuba couldn't believe his ears, _Seto was refusing to fire someone incompetent? And this was someone who spilled wine all over him less than a minute ago! And what's more, they were coming back to this horrible place?!_

Mokuba forced a laugh and grabbed the back of his neck nervously, addressing the manager, "I'm sorry, my big brother isn't feeling well today, you'll have to excuse him."

The manager was blinking wildly and nodding, "Yes, you have been an honor, we have had a great pleasure of hosting you here today, Mr. Kaiba." he said, stumbling over his words as the waitresses left three boxes of food on the table. Mokuba stood up quickly and grabbed the boxes, eager to leave, "Where do we pay?" he demanded.

"No, it's on us." the manager said, bowing his head slightly, "It is..our-"

Mokuba wasn't listening. He grabbed Seto's hand and pulled him out of his seat, "Yea yea, thanks mister, we're leaving now."

Mokuba felt Seto stand and squeeze his hand reassuringly. They exited the restaurant peacefully and quickly made it to their limo. Mokuba let go of Seto's hand, yanking the car door open, balancing the boxes of food on one arm, looking up at Seto strangely.

"Are you okay big brother?" he asked, frowning up at him,

Kaiba patted his head gently and pushed him in towards the car first, taking the boxes of food from him. Mokuba let him, feeling the heat and weight from the food leave his arm.

"Get in Mokuba, we can play a video game together when we get back home." Kaiba said, smiling softly at him.

Mokuba felt his chest constrict and he climbed quickly into the backseat of the limo, "Okay!" he called, watching as Seto ducked his tall frame into the seat next to him while shutting the door firmly.

The driver turned the key in the ignition and they sped off towards their home.

* * *

**Author's note:**

HUGE shout out + _thank you_ to my newfound senpai and editor **Seket!** Together, we are an unstoppable prideshipping force! Please look forward to more quality work in our future!

Your reviews &amp; reading support means the world to us,  
-Ugli-  
#endme #LeaveaReviewplease


	11. Chapter 11

Finally, Kaiba sat down at his desk after tucking Mokuba into bed. Sinking into his chair, he felt exhaustion settle heavily on his shoulders. He ran a hand through his hair, lifting it up off his forehead, and suddenly Yami's astonished expression flashed through his mind.

Frowning, Kaiba quickly opened his desk drawer and pulled out Hiro's phone, remembering the missed call from Yami. Kaiba was about to hit redial before pausing and realizing that his voice alone might give him away on the phone.

Yami would definitely be able to recognize his voice over the phone.

_Shit!_ Kaiba cursed angrily, bringing a fist down loudly against his desk, feeling the shock of pain travel up his arm. He stared at the phone for a moment, before throwing caution to the wind and hitting re-dial.

The phone rang once, twice...Kaiba felt himself begin to sweat with anticipation. After the eighth ring, the dial tone rang in his ear and an automated female voice floated coolly through the receiver, "This caller's voice mailbox has not been set up yet..."

_Typical,_ Kaiba growled to himself, remembering Yami's hesitation when he gifted him with the phone. Sighing, Kaiba stood and headed over to his closet. He opened the door and stared at the box of purchases he had yet to unpack. Kaiba started hanging the articles of clothing one by one, inspecting them closely, brushing his hand over the fabrics and enjoying how comfortable they felt.

Kaiba came across the black top with the gold embroidered collar and matching cuffs, which he had purchased with the intent of gifting it to Yami. Kaiba's frown deepened. This was going to be difficult. Kaiba set it aside, laying it out on his king-sized bed, studying it.

Suddenly, his phone rang shrilly, the vibration cut loudly through the room and it buzzed along his desk. Kaiba rushed towards the sound, afraid it would wake Mokuba. He lunged at his desk, his hand curling around the buttons on the side, quickly silencing it.

Kaiba froze, which phone did he just silence?!

He slowly lifted his palm up, dreading his discovery. He had just prematurely rejected a call from Yami. Kaiba mentally slapped himself_, _feeling an oncoming headache.

_Oh...Fuck!_ he gritted his teeth, pissed. He cursed himself for being an idiot and stormed back over to his closet, staring angrily his clothes, wondering if his actions would result in some unforeseen consequences. Trying not to think about it, Kaiba shook the hair out of his eyes and resumed hanging his purchases in his closet.

* * *

Yami opened his eyes slowly as a light buzzing woke him from his nap. Everything was dark except for a faint glow coming in through the window. Silver moonlight cast a wavering shadow through the leaves of the tree outside his window and Yami realized he had fallen asleep. Stretching slightly, Yami palmed his face, touching the corners of his eyes gingerly, feeling their puffiness. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and fished out his phone, wondering what was causing all the buzzing.

To his pleasant surprise, it was a missed call from Hiro! The notification glowed brightly at him in the darkness and Yami quickly slid his finger across the screen excitedly redialing the number. Holding the phone up to his ear and eagerly waited to hear Hiro's gentle voice in his ear.

It rang once, twice, and then a long pause. Yami held his breath, preparing to speak just as an automated message picked up, stating the user had not set up a voicemail box yet.

Was his call just cut off at the second ring?

Frowning slightly, he lowered the phone back down onto his lap.

Anzu's words still weighed heavily on his shoulders and Yami felt as though his mind was covered with a dark veil; he couldn't think clearly.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, Yami stood up and exited the room quickly, his stomach growling.

Anzu and Yugi were sitting on the couch watching a show while Joey sat on the table in front of them, shuffling through his duel monsters deck, muttering to himself nonstop.

Yugi heard Yami's footsteps coming down the stairs and he looked up from the TV, smiling gently at his twin. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Yugi asked, trying to keep the guilt out of his voice.

Yami's eyes traveled around the room, taking note of everyone and then nodded at Yugi, "I'm fine Aibou, thank you for asking. I wish to speak with Anzu."

Anzu blinked and nodded, standing slowly, "Let's talk outside."

Yami's eyes followed her silently as Anzu made her way out through the hallway and into the shop. The door slammed loudly and Yugi looked up at Yami through his spiky blonde bangs, "Yami, if at any point you don't feel comfortable...just let me know."

Yami barely nodded and exited the living room, passing through the hallway and into the shop. Tapping his shoes on, he saw Anzu's silhouette standing apprehensively outside the door of the Kame Game Shop. Yami felt strangely heavy as he walked through the store and stepped through the doorway, joining Anzu on the other side, feeling the rush of the cold night air sting his ears.

Anzu had her arms folded, leaning against the wall by the door, her eyes fixed on the street where several cars were stopped at a light.

Yami followed her gaze and they stood together in silence for a long moment, listening to the sounds of traffic pass by. Watching a group of businessmen cross the street, all holding identical briefcases, Anzu finally spoke up first, her voice barely audible over the sound of the wind whistling, "Yami, I'd like to apologize for being so harsh."

"It's really fine." Yami commented, absently rubbing the edges of his phone in his pocket. "I have given my situation some thought and I appreciate your concern."

Anzu nodded, still gazing out towards the street, "If you're really sure about him, I'll leave it alone. Yugi was right, it's none of my business. This is between you and Hiro."

Yami paused, hesitating, but decided to ask anyway, "Actually Anzu, perhaps your perspective could help shed some light on what I've been experiencing."

Anzu turned to face him for the first time, her eyes shining, "Yes, ...Yes! I'm here for you, Yami, please don't ever forget that! Go ahead, I'm listening."

Yami smiled appreciatively at her and contemplated where to start. He gazed up at the sky that was slowly starting to become spotted with stars, and decided to start with the truth.

"I honestly feel like I've known him for a long time," Yami began, "Everything about him feels familiar, his physical presence, his mannerisms..." Yami's voice trailed off lightly and Anzu nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"I'm not sure," Yami said lamely, shrugging, "I know I'm being ridiculous, but every now and then, he reminds me of Kaiba."

Anzu's eyes widened considerably when she heard this, "Go on..." she said, her breath catching in her throat.

"I'm being foolish." Yami said quickly, his gaze still fixed upwards at the sky, his face reddening slightly.

"No, no you're not!" Anzu cried, "Tell me some details, like, how does he remind you of Kaiba?"

Yami blinked, his mind still cloudy from his nap, "It's only the rare occasion, but sometimes he folds his hands together in front of his face, the same way Kaiba does. I am aware that many people may share the same mannerisms, but this.." Yami sighed, "It's all in my head. I am most certain."

Anzu nodded silently, quietly observing Yami, patiently waiting for him to continue speaking.

"Hiro is too kind and warmhearted to be anything like Kaiba." Yami concluded simply. "Any similarities he may share with Kaiba are merely coincidences and my mind is drawing those irrational conclusions based on what I've seen."

"I see," Anzu said simply, nodding. "Well Yami, if you experience anything else suspicious, we can figure it to together. You're not alone in this. Yugi and I, we're both here for you."

Yami said nothing, continuing to stare up into the sky which was completely dark now. The stars stood out brightly, a few wispy grey clouds floated by. _What would be considered suspicious behavior?_ Yami mused,_ Perhaps I ought to have put more thought into this before coming forward to Anzu._

Yami glanced over quickly at her, "Thank you Anzu, you were right to be worried. The way I'm behaving," Yami shook his head, "I'm scaring myself."

Anzu softened and smiled gently at Yami, "Love makes us do scary things."

Yami laughed softly and gestured towards the door, "We've been out here for a while, let's not worry the others."

Anzu nodded, allowing Yami to hold the door open for her, and they stepped quietly in the game shop, quickly heading back into the living room where Yugi and Joey were waiting.

* * *

Kaiba finished hanging all of his new purchases and stepped back to admire his handiwork. Glancing at his watch, Kaiba decided he could squeeze in a bit of work before turning in for the night. He sat down at his desk and flipped open his laptop, wondering how much he had missed throughout the week, the blue glow burning into his eyes as he pulled up his calendar.

His eyelids grew heavy almost immediately and Kaiba reached for his personal phone, texting Isono to put a pot of coffee on to boil. He placed both phones next to him and got down to work, his fingers flitting expertly over his keyboard.

Kaiba would occasionally glance at the phones, thinking he had seen one of their screens light up with a message, but both phones remained silent. There was a soft knock at the door and the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted into the room. Isono pushed the door open slightly and walked in carrying a tray organized neatly with a cup of light cream and a steaming pot of coffee. "Mr. Kaiba, I have brewed a pot of coffee for you, shall I leave this on your desk?"

Kaiba nodded at him in thanks, not looking up from his laptop, his fingers flying diligently across the keyboard. Isono bowed and retreated out of the room, easing the door halfway shut. Kaiba stared intently at the screen, clicking across spreadsheets and reports, not really seeing any of it.

He poured himself a cup and leaned back into his seat, sipping the coffee slowly. Kaiba glanced at the clock and was slightly shocked at how fast time had flown by; it was 3AM. It suddenly hit him that he was doing a week's worth of work in one night.

Leaning forwards once again and setting the cup down, he resumed his position and continued typing. Several hours passed by swiftly, unnoticed.

Kaiba's company phone buzzed lightly. He ignored it.

The phone buzzed again and Kaiba twitched, annoyed. He glanced over at the screen, his hands hovering above the keyboard, still typing out his last thoughts, and he read the preview of a text from Isono, "Mr. Yugi is at the door, should I let..."

Kaiba felt his head swim and he quickly snatched his phone up, almost knocking over his coffee. He opened the text, reading it over twice. "Mr. Yugi is at the door, should I let him in?"

_What the hell? _Kaiba thought dazedly, _What does Yugi want from me at 3 in the fucking morning? _

Kaiba snapped out of it and quickly replied to the text, "Yes, let him in." Glancing around his desk frantically, Kaiba shoved Hiro's phone back into his drawer, making sure to turn it off completely. The last thing he wanted was for Yami to call or text him while Yugi was in the room.

He rushed into the bathroom and splashed cold water onto his face, the feeling shocked him fully awake. Kaiba was prepared; he was ready for whatever bullshit Yugi was here to throw at him. Carefully patting his face dry with a towel, Kaiba strode back over to his desk and sat down, staring resolutely at the screen, the text sliding off to the side as his vision blurred. God was he tired.

Kaiba glanced up at the door in anticipation, realizing it was half open. He lowered his gaze again, listening as the footsteps grew louder as Yugi got closer.

There was a soft knock at the door and Kaiba paused, staring at the spiky-haired shadow flooding in through the crack, he could see the tips of his studded boots at the edge of the doorway.

"What do you want Yugi?" Kaiba said tensely, staring at his own fingers suspended hesitantly above his keyboard. There was a long pause and the shadow remained motionless in his peripheral vision.

"Oh just come in," Kaiba snapped, "And close the door behind you."

The shadow moved forwards and Kaiba raised his head up to stare at the figure in the doorway.

His breath hitched in this throat when he realized it was Yami.

"I'm...not Yugi." Yami said awkwardly in his usual deep tones, still standing cautiously in the doorway.

_Definitely not Yugi_, Kaiba repeated mentally, deeply shocked, unable to think or breathe. He was frozen in his seat and Kaiba forced himself to blink and nod, dimly aware that his chest hurt from the lack of oxygen. Tearing his eyes away from Yami, Kaiba glanced back down at his screen, calculating his next move.

_Stand, be polite,_ Kaiba breathed to himself, _If Hiro is who he prefers, then my fucking competition...is myself, dammit._

Kaiba stood smoothly and quickly hit save, clicking the lid of his laptop shut. He made his way over to Yami and pulled the door open wider, attempting a gentle smile. "Come in." Kaiba said, moving to the side, allowing Yami to step in past him.

Yami's heart raced as Kaiba let him in. The light scent of coffee drifted around Yami as the door swung closed behind them. Kaiba strode past Yami and stood by his desk, feeling himself sweat nervously.

Yami's eyes darted around the room, landing on the large pot of coffee resting on a tray next to Kaiba's laptop. Kaiba seemed to be busy... he was definitely intruding again. "I'm bothering you." Yami said slowly, his gaze fixed on the half-empty pot of coffee.

Kaiba folded his arms and spoke truthfully, "You're welcome here anytime."

Yami felt his chest tighten strangely, and he didn't say anything. They stood awkwardly together in the room, occasionally glancing at one another. The silence stretched painfully, neither of them speaking.

Finally, Kaiba couldn't take it anymore, deciding to ask the question that was burning at the tip of his tongue, "What are you doing here? Does Yugi know you're here?"

Yami looked pained and he glanced nervously off to the side, "No one knows I come here."

_He didn't answer my first question_, Kaiba fumed, rephrasing it, "What can I do for you?"

Yami crossed his arms nervously, "I couldn't sleep," and he shuffled his feet anxiously, "So I went out for a walk and ended up here.." his voice lowering to a mumble.

"Yeah that's not what I asked you." Kaiba said irritably, "Tell me why you're here."

Yami didn't answer, he was lost in thought, his eyes flitting around the room landing on a beautiful dark colored shirt draped over the edge of Kaiba's bed. It looked expensive, with black pearl buttons and subtle gold embroidery lining the collar and cuffs. Yami felt his breath catch in his throat, he couldn't see the shirt clearly in the dark, but he knew it definitely wasn't something Kaiba would wear. It looked way too small...

_It's for his...girlfriend! _Yami realized, a solid rock of anxiety readily forming in his stomach when he remembered Mokuba's bright smile as he mentioned Kaiba's "new girlfriend".

Kaiba frowned, still waiting for Yami to answer, following his gaze to the shirt laying on his bed.

_Perfect_, Kaiba thought slyly, and he spoke up, "Yami, you know I hate repeating myself. What are you doing here?"

Yami jumped slightly at the sound of Kaiba's voice. Dragging his gaze away from the shirt, he straightened himself up, trying to appear taller, "I came to ask you a question."  
_Perhaps he won't answer,_ Yami thought, his stomach turning uncomfortably, _He will dismiss me as usual, saying it's none of my business. _

Kaiba felt a laugh bubble up in his chest, "Okay, ask away." He tilted his head at Yami, intrigued.

Yami appeared to struggle with himself for a moment, the moonlight from the window cast a soft glow across his blonde bangs and Kaiba folded his arms across his chest to prevent himself from reaching out and touching Yami.

"Well?" Kaiba prodded. He was getting impatient.

Yami took a deep breath and spoke, "Your girlfriend...is she pretty?"

Kaiba was caught off guard and he stared at Yami. "What."

_She is!_ Yami thought distressingly, _That reaction proves it!_

Kaiba lowered his arms and stepped closer towards Yami, his voice barely above a whisper, "Where the hell did you get that from?"

Yami felt panic rising in his throat, choking him, "I-I ..heard... from Mokuba."

Kaiba forced himself to remain calm as the situation was becoming less and less amusing. If Mokuba said "girlfriend" that meant he didn't really know anything.

"Mokuba doesn't know anything." Kaiba scoffed, watching Yami's expression as carefully as he could in the dark.

Yami lowered his head, regretting mentioning Mokuba, "Well, that's why I'm asking you."

_Wow, fuck this_. Kaiba thought angrily. _Yami thinks I have a girlfriend? Fine, let him, if he'll feel anything towards me, even if it's jealousy, I'll take it._

Kaiba raised his head up haughtily and looked directly at Yami, "Yes. She is pretty."

_I suppose you are pretty, for a man_. Kaiba reflected privately, watching Yami blink his large eyes at him.

Yami felt his heart drop to his feet and his head swam unpleasantly as he heard Kaiba's response. "I see." he said blinking slowly, his gaze fixed on Kaiba's shoulder, but then he felt himself begin to grow angrier and angrier as he remembered their previous conversation from the night before. _He offered me a chance, didn't he?_ Yami fumed, and he decided to confront Kaiba about this directly.

"Kaiba," Yami said darkly, glowering at him, "Does your offer still stand?"

Kaiba tensed as he struggled to remember. _What offer?...Oh, _Kaiba recalled their conversation over the parfait, where he was humiliated when Yami insisted Hiro was "better" than he was.

"What, are you suddenly changing your mind now?" Kaiba spat, his temper rising.

"No." Yami replied indignantly, "I'm just appalled you would do this to your girlfriend. But I suppose you are the type of person to throw away someone's feelings."

_Oh look at you preaching about feelings when you're stepping all over mine,_ Kaiba fumed.

Kaiba gritted his teeth and barely managed to get his words out, "You ought to be flattered, Yami, that I would drop my so-called girlfriend for you in a second."

Yami could not believe his ears, "She's your "_so-called"_ girlfriend now?"

_What would become of me if Kaiba suddenly decided he was no longer interested? _Yami thought, feeling lightheaded, _Perhaps the type of man Anzu was describing _is _Kaiba! _

Kaiba was reeling with resentment and rage. He could feel a massive headache coming on and he couldn't take it anymore, "She doesn't exist." Kaiba growled, curling his fists and hiding them behind his thighs, "Like I said, Mokuba doesn't know anything."

Yami raised his head and met Kaiba's glare for the first time since he had entered the room. Kaiba looked furious as usual, his piercing gaze ran daggers through Yami as he tried to return the look with the same amount of animosity.

"If she doesn't exist," Yami struggled to find the right words as Kaiba stared unblinkingly into his eyes, his face heating up, "Then... what is that shirt doing on your bed?"

_And now we're back to the fucking shirt,_ Kaiba thought maliciously, _I'll take it he does like it, otherwise he wouldn't be fixated on asking so much about it._

Smirking, Kaiba crossed his arms and turned to lean the small of his back against the edge of his desk, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, tell me," Yami insisted, unaware that he was raising his voice, "I would like to know."

Kaiba shrugged nonchalantly, walking swiftly over to the bed and pulled the shirt towards him. Hastily yanking it off it's hanger, he draped it over his arm and made his way back towards Yami, who was watching his every move like a hawk.

Kaiba's smirk turned into a smile as he pinched the shirt up at the shoulders, holding it up for Yami's inspection, "Do you like it?" Kaiba asked softly, his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he watched Yami's eyes widen and he swore he saw Yami's pupils dilate slightly.

A wave of uncertainty washed over Yami, fogging his mind._ Was this...another gift?!_ Yami's gaze was fixed on the delicate gold embroidery which shone invitingly back at him in the moonlight. It was stunning; the material looked like silk...Yami instinctively reached a hand out to touch the fabric before he could stop himself.

Kaiba's smile widened gleefully and he pulled the shirt up out of Yami's reach. "It's yours, on one condition."

Yami's breath hitched in his throat painfully as he withdrew his hand, curling it into a fist. Of course, Kaiba would require something in return.

"Not interested." Yami said roughly, forcing himself to turn around, facing the door. It looked so far, even thought it was only a few paces away.

"You should hear the offer first before declining." Kaiba sniffed, "Just put it on. The least you could do is let me know that it fits."

Yami turned back around slowly to face Kaiba, feeling conflicted, "...That's all?"

Kaiba nodded, lowering the shirt back into Yami's reach, "Go ahead, I'll wait."

Yami's face reddened instantly, "You want me to put it on now?!"

"Yes." Kaiba grinned widely, his teeth flashing in the moonlight. "There's no need to be shy, we're both men. Nothing I haven't seen before." Kaiba swallowed at this lie, recalling the image of Yami lying shirtless on the bed in his apartment with his erection jutting out from underneath his underwear through the fly of his tight leather pants.

Yami stood very still. He could feel that something was off, but he wasn't sure what it was exactly. Was this a trap? A trick? The silk shirt fluttered lightly in the wind coming through the window behind Kaiba, it's buttons gleamed brightly, as if taunting him.

"Fine." Yami agreed hastily, reaching for the shirt with one hand and simultaneously pulling off his blue blazer with the other. Kaiba's grin turned into a triumphant leer as he watched Yami shrug his blazer off casually.

The wind caused goosebumps to run up Yami's arms as he stood in his sleeveless undershirt. He reached for the shirt, but just as his fingers brushed across the silk, Kaiba yanked it out of his grasp once again.

Yami was getting pissed, "Honestly, Kaiba you-"

"You can't see how it fits with something underneath," Kaiba sneered arrogantly, feeling his heart beating loudly with anticipation.

Yami clenched his fists once again and glared at Kaiba, feeling his temper rise._ This bastard..._

"Fine." Yami growled through clenched teeth, "If you insist."

Yami was too angry to care anymore, and he reached down quickly peeling his undershirt upwards and over his head. He let it slide down his arms and the shirt fell softly to the floor. Yami felt the warmth leave his body and he shivered slightly in the cold as he stood shirtless in the middle of Kaiba's office.

Kaiba held his breath and his eyes widened lustfully as he saw Yami's nipples perk up from the cold. Kaiba tossed the hair out of his eyes and held the shirt out to Yami, nodding slightly.

Scowling, Yami snatched the shirt from Kaiba's grasp and quickly slid his arm through one of the sleeves. Yami felt the cool softness of the silk brush over his skin and immense satisfaction surged up from within as he reveled in the luxurious texture of the fabric.

Kaiba lowered his head and watched Yami button the shirt over his bare abdomen, unable to take his eyes off of Yami's bare skin, which was quickly disappearing with every button. Kaiba's eyes traveled up Yami's slender form. Yami's face was hidden mostly by the his large spiky bangs, but Kaiba could make out a tiny smirk tugging at the corners of Yami's lips.

Kaiba quickly stepped forwards and instinctively reached to brush the hair out of Yami's face. Yami jerked his head back suddenly as Kaiba's knuckles brushed across his forehead and into his hair.

"Glad you like it." Kaiba said simply, trailing his fingertips through Yami's bangs, resisting the urge to snake his hands around Yami's head to pull him into an embrace. _Well this would be so much easier if I was Hiro, now wouldn't it,_ Kaiba thought spitefully. _He'd probably kiss me without a second thought._

Yami reached up to swat Kaiba's hand away from his face, annoyed, "Stop that." he said irritably. Kaiba stared fixedly down into Yami's half-buttoned shirt, enjoying the view. His pulse racing, Kaiba reached his other hand up to adjust Yami's collar, brushing his thumb over the fabric, running the curves of the embroidery through this fingers.

Kaiba froze as he realized his manicure looked like a terrible mess, chipped and cracked around the tops and edges. Terrified, Kaiba quickly withdrew his hand, realizing Yami would notice this.

Turning his head aside, Yami tried to look down but Kaiba had rapidly withdrew his hand and clasped them behind his back.

_Strange,_ Yami mused, but paid no mind and continued buttoning up the shirt.

Kaiba quickly turned and paced towards the window, putting distance between them.

_Shit, shit! _Kaiba cursed, and he berated himself for his carelessness. He heard movement behind him and keeping his arms carefully down at his sides, he turned to face Yami who was adjusting the shirt across his shoulders.

Kaiba nodded, satisfied, noting that Yami had left the top two buttons undone, exposing his slender collar bones. The shirt fell nicely around Yami's slender frame and the thin gold embroidery complimented his skin tone nicely. Kaiba held his breath; Yami looked absolutely princely.

"Well," Yami said, slowly turning his arm over and inspecting the cuff carefully, enjoying the moonlight reflecting off the golden threads, "It fits." He raised his head and met Kaiba's gaze. "Thank you, I suppose." Yami added, picking his undershirt and blazer up off the floor.

Kaiba curled his fingers and hid them in the palms of his hands, nodding stiffly, "You should probably go home before someone notices you're gone."

"Right." Yami said, giving him a strange look. He tucked his blazer and undershirt neatly under his arm and headed for the door.

Kaiba watched Yami's back as he turned to leave, his nails digging painfully into his palm. Yami threw him a cryptic look over his shoulder before closing the door behind himself softly.

Kaiba waited for Yami's footsteps to disappear in the distance as he stared at the door with disdain.

_Unbelievable_, Kaiba thought bitterly as he sat down at his desk, sliding a glass nail file from his desk drawer. He slid the file underneath his index finger, smoothing over the edges carefully, feeling the file rub roughly underneath his fingertips. He did the same for the other four fingers on his left hand, focusing intently on repairing his nails, trying not to think about his cold exchanges with Yami.

Sighing, Kaiba stood and walked into the bathroom, not bothering to turn on the lights. He turned on the tap, soaking his fingers under the water, and once he was done, pulled out a tiny bottle of rubbing alcohol from the cabinet above him. His fingers brushed across the three bottles of hair dye he had left, which sat innocently on the top shelf.

Kaiba leaned back and stared at them._ Three bottles...at the rate I'm using it, that's about eight weeks worth of dye. _Kaiba gripped the marble edge of the sink and he leaned towards his dark reflection in the mirror. _Two months._

Kaiba drew in a shaking breath. _This can't go on. Hiro isn't real. I can't hide behind this identity any longer._

He grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol and strode back to his desk. Slamming the alcohol down, Kaiba yanked the drawer open and pulled out Hiro's phone. He switched in on and saw saw a missed call from the bakery's manager, including two text notifications, one from Yami and the other from Jason.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba read the message, "Hiro, it's Jason. We're up bright and early tomorrow! See you then, let yourself in through the back, I'll keep it unlocked for you... don't be late!"

Swiftly deleting the message, Kaiba swiped across the screen to read the text from Yami, which according to the time stamp, was sent five minutes ago.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

Kaiba glanced at the clock and realized it was almost 5AM...he had to head to the bakery soon.

Kaiba hesitated, and then replied quickly, his nails tapping across the screen. "Yes I'll be at the bakery," pausing, Kaiba added, "Something wonderful has happened, I'll tell you tomorrow!"

Placing the phone carefully back down on his desk Kaiba racked his brain, trying to come up with a suitable lie he could tell Yami tomorrow. Deep in thought, Kaiba soaked the tips of his fingers in the alcohol as he evaluated his options.

* * *

Yami laid wide awake in bed and he watched the ceiling steadily grow brighter as the sun rose, flooding the room with light. He turned over and stared at the black shirt draped over the back of his desk chair, the dark pearl buttons glowed at him from a distance.

_Another gift from Kaiba_, Yami thought darkly tearing his gaze away from the gold embroidery. _I really can't understand him sometimes. _

Yami glanced over at Yugi who was rolled up underneath the covers and his phone buzzed lightly beside his pillow. Yami's heart raced as he checked Hiro's response.

_Oh he'll be at the bakery early, I suppose if I head out now, I can catch him before he goes in. _Yami threw his legs over the edge of the bed and resolved to get up. Sleep was just going to be a waste of time, he'd rather be out with Hiro as much as possible anyway. He quickly grabbed his bag and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind himself.

* * *

Kaiba gently squeezed a large drop of black goop into the palm of his hand, wincing as the cold liquid touched his skin. He leaned his head down into the sink and ran the product through his hair methodically. Pulling his hands away from his hair, he stared at the watery black mess coating his fingers, propping his elbows up against the edges of the sink.

_Is this all it takes? _Kaiba thought bitterly to himself,_ A few drops of this and some contacts for Yami to lower his guard whenever he's around me? _

Kaiba felt terrible as he sighed and rinsed his hands, watching the black dye trail off his fingers and down the drain. He stepped into the shower and stood pensively underneath the rush of water, blinking the drops of water off of his eyelashes. A light headache was coming on and Kaiba rubbed his temples gently, realizing that Yami's nightly visits were severely interfering with his sleep schedule.

He shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. Kaiba reached up into the cabinet. He grabbed the slim bottle of cologne and spritzed himself twice around the neck, attempting to mask the heavy smell of coffee which undoubtedly clung to him persistently. He carefully set the glass bottle back up on the highest shelf and grabbed a towel, drying his hair vigorously. Kaiba looked into the mirror, slowly turning his head left and right, checking for any exposed brown roots. He found none. Satisfied, Kaiba leaned back and glared at his reflection, his blue eyes glowered eerily back at him and he looked away quickly, rummaging around for a pack of brown contacts.

His fingers closed around the small package and he tore the aluminum foil back aggressively, almost spilling the fluid inside. Kaiba cursed and dipped his finger in, holding the contact up to the light, he deftly placed it into his eye and leaned his head back, feeling the contact settle comfortably. Blinking astutely, Kaiba dipped his finger down into the container again, picking up the other contact. He lifted his eyelid gently and tapped the contact into his other eye. He watched the brown rim bubble around his blue corneas before hugging the curve of his eye naturally. Kaiba blinked again, watching and waiting for the contacts to move. Thankfully they stayed in place and he leaned away from his reflection, scrutinizing himself in the mirror.

_I guess I'll push my hair up again_, Kaiba resolved, briefly recalling how he managed to captivate Yami's attention so easily, and he smiled to himself. He exited the bathroom and slid the closet doors open. He carelessly threw on a black collared shirt and stepped into pair of light grey jeans. Kaiba instinctively reached for a belt but then withdrew his hand as he realized all of his belts were embellished with his initials. Cursing himself for his vanity, Kaiba reached into his leather bag and grabbed the jar of hair wax. He walked back into the bathroom quickly and positioned himself in front of the mirror again.

Taking a deep breath, he swept his fingertips over the product and rubbed his hands together tentatively, feeling the wax grow tacky and sticky against his skin.

Kaiba swiftly brushed his hands upwards through his hair, pulling it up high, exposing his forehead, making sure to carefully twist the ends of his hair across his ears. He ran his palms down the back of his hair, smoothing down the ends neatly. Content with his overall appearance, Kaiba stepped out of the bathroom and grabbed both his phones off his desk.

He heard a soft knock at the door and Mokuba's voice drifted in groggily, "Se..to..?"

Kaiba strode over to the door and pulled it open.

Mokuba, who was leaning against the doorway, stumbled in sleepily, and Seto caught him.

"Whoa, careful kiddo." Kaiba said softly, sweeping Mokuba up in his arms and carrying him over towards his king-sized bed.

Mokuba threw his arms around Seto's neck and pressed his face into Seto's shoulder, rubbing his cheek into the softness of his brother's shirt. Mokuba cracked his eyes open drowsily as a light, fresh scent enveloped him comfortably.

"Are you wearing cologne?" Mokuba asked blearily, leaning his head back to look up at his brother. He pried his eyes open as he was shocked awake when he noticed Seto had once again dyed his hair jet black, and what's more, his hair was pushed upwards stylishly with the tips twisted handsomely across his ears

Mokuba's mouth dropped open with surprise as Seto lowered him down onto the bed and he sat back up forcefully, struggling to keep his eyes open but unable to stop staring.

Kaiba smiled gently down at Mokuba and pulled the comforter out from underneath him, "Get some sleep, I'll be back later today."

Mokuba gaped. Seto looked so incredibly kind when he smiled, so much so that he didn't even look like the same person anymore. _Was this...Hiro? _Mokuba swallowed and tried to find his voice, "Seto..? Are you...a-are you.." He couldn't finish his question. He was beginning to see why Yami preferred Hiro over Seto.

"Yeah I'm leaving, but I'll be back soon, okay?" Kaiba said gently, realizing this was only the second time Mokuba had seen him look like this. "Here, go back to sleep." He tucked Mokuba's legs neatly underneath the comforter and headed for the door, remembering to grab his brown leather bag off of his desk.

Mokuba gripped the sheets tightly as he stared at Seto's silhouette framed in the doorway. Seto looked like a total stranger!

"When will you be back?!" Mokuba cried, trying to sit up again.

"I'll be back this afternoon, I've got a lot of work to do. If you finish all your homework, we'll go somewhere nice this weekend, how does that sound?" Kaiba said, reaching for the door handle.

"But...go-karting with Yugi!" Mokuba whined, rubbing his eyes heavily.

"We'll see about that." Kaiba said darkly and he swung the door shut quietly. He heard Mokuba shuffling around as he headed down the stairs towards the garage.

He got behind the seat of his car and started the engine. Feeling the car vibrate enthusiastically, Kaiba felt his spirits rise. He backed out of his driveway carefully and he sped off down the street towards the bakery.

Yami marveled at the silence around him as he walked through campus. He'd never been this early before. Most of the buildings were still dark with several stragglers dragging their feet across campus, looking drained.

Yami made his way to the edge of campus and sat down on the bench across the street from the bakery. There was a light inside and Yami could make out a tall male figure wiping the counter. Yami's heart began to race and he stood up quickly, crossing the street, not bothering to obey the walk sign.

He approached the tall glass doors excitedly, but his spirits fell when he realized the tall figure wasn't Hiro, but the other male who was always present. Yami was about to leave when the figure looked up and smiled widely at him.

Unnerved, Yami stayed where he was as the man jogged to the doors and unlocked them, the keys hitting against the glass loudly.

"Welcome, welcome, hi!" The man exclaimed brightly, flashing him a thousand watt smile. "Nice to finally meet you Yugi! I'm Jason, your boyfriend's boss."

Yami's eyes widened and his voice caught in his throat as he tried to process what he was hearing. _Yugi? ...Boyfriend?! _

"I see." Yami replied simply, staring at the man. He knew he was being rude but he couldn't manage any other expression.

"If you don't mind, I'd like you to sign something for my niece!" Jason said excitedly, propping the door open and rushing back around the counter to grab a pen and a slip of paper.

Outside, Kaiba had parked his car in the employee space behind the bakery. He closed his eyes momentarily, leaning his head forward on the wheel, feeling exhaustion settle uncomfortably around him. He stepped out wearily and slammed the car door, aiming to bake as quickly as possible so he could go home and catch up on some much needed sleep.

He could hear Jason's voice talking excitedly in the distance as he rounded the corner and Kaiba quickly walked up the alley towards the employee entrance. Yanking the door open, Kaiba strode through the kitchen and out to the front.

Kaiba felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Yami standing apprehensively in the doorway of the bakery. Jason was bent over rummaging for something underneath the counter.

_What is he doing here so fucking early?!_ Kaiba fumed internally, _He didn't sleep?_

Yami saw Hiro step out from the back and his face lit up.

_His hair is up again! _Yami thought happily and he waved lightly as he felt his pulse quicken.

Kaiba automatically raised his hand up to return the wave halfheartedly. Jason looked up and squinted at him, "Oh hey you! Nice hair!" he commented, his eyes quickly sweeping over Kaiba's head. "I was just about to..aha found it!" Jason cried as he pulled out a pad and pen.

Kaiba stared at the pad of paper and then up at Yami's sullen expression, and his eyes widened when he realized what was happening. He rushed to block Jason's path and loomed threateningly over his manager, trying not to glare.

Jason's smile faltered as Hiro looked murderously down at him from his height. "H-Hey buddy, I'm just asking for his autograph!" Jason said, holding his hands up defensively. He nimbly ducked around Hiro's tall form and waved the pad of paper at Yami. "Please sign this Yugi! My niece will absolutely love me for this!"

Yami stood rooted to the spot as Jason rushed towards him waving the paper, his heart thumping nervously. He opened his mouth to speak but fell silent as Hiro stepped in front of him, blocking Jason from his view. The friendly scent from Hiro's cologne washed over Yami reassuringly as Hiro stood resolutely between him and the manager.

Yami felt a rush of satisfaction as Hiro stepped in to speak for him.

"He's not signing anything." Kaiba said, attempting to keep his voice even, "He's not Yugi."

Yami stared intently at the folds of Hiro's shirt as he heard the manager stutter slightly, "H-Hiro, dude, my man, come on. I thought I told you-"

"No I told _you_, but you didn't believe me." Kaiba said, cutting across his manager rudely, "If you want Yugi's autograph, he and his friends will be stopping by for our grand opening. Isn't that right?" Kaiba almost spat as he turned around to face Yami.

"Yes..!" Yami said startled, blinking slowly. He couldn't tell if Hiro was angry or not. Yami could see the manager peeking out curiously from behind Hiro.

"He's...but he's.." Jason sputtered, clutching the pad and paper anxiously.

"Look," Kaiba said roughly, stepping aside and standing beside Yami, "Look closely. Look at his eyes, look at the shape of his face. This is Yami."

Jason's eyes darted frantically around Yami's face and Yami felt himself heat up with embarrassment.

_Amazing_, Yami thought secretly, peering up at Hiro through his blonde spiky bangs, _He can really tell us apart. It usually takes strangers up to a few months to recognize our slight physical differences._

"Right, right..I see." Jason repeated mindlessly, his eyes still roaming around Yami's face slowly. "Now that you mention it, I'd say ...Yugi looks friendlier even. No offense." he added, looking apologetically at Yami.

Yami could feel Hiro relax visibly and he smiled gently at Jason, "It's a common mistake."

There was an awkward silence as Jason glanced hesitantly between Hiro and Yami. Finally, he lowered his hand and stowed the pad away in his apron. "Well, I'm gonna get back to work. I'll let you two..." his voice trailed off as he hurried into the kitchen, and as an afterthought, Jason yelled over his shoulder, "Hiro, grab your apron, we're going to get busy!"

Kaiba nodded and he cautiously glanced over at Yami, who was smiling gently up at him. Kaiba felt a lump rise in his throat and he swallowed nervously, "I know you don't enjoy being mistaken for Yugi."

Yami rushed forwards suddenly and threw his arms around Hiro's slender waist, pulling him into a tight embrace.

Kaiba was caught off guard and almost stumbled backwards. He looked down at the spiky mess of hair that was pressed into his chest and felt a bubble of joy swell up inside him.

Yami pressed his nose into the soft cotton fabric of Hiro's shirt and he inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh scent of Hiro's cologne. He could hear Hiro's heart thumping loudly by his ear and Yami smiled to himself.

_Hiro's feelings for me are genuine,_ he thought firmly, _he seems to know exactly how I feel and he won't hesitate to stand up for me!_

Kaiba paused, his hands hovered reluctantly at his sides until his emotions got the better of him. He pulled Yami flush against his body and wrapped a reassuring arm around Yami's shoulders, enjoying the warmth from Yami's cheek against his chest.

_And here, he's touching me freely again_. Kaiba thought miserably as a pang of guilt seared through him. _Whereas less than two hours ago, he was glaring at me from halfway across the room._

They stayed that way for several long minutes before Yami gently relaxed his grip from around Hiro's waist.

"I'm glad," Yami said, laughing slightly, untangling himself from Hiro's embrace, "It does get really hard when I have to turn people down by telling them I'm not Yugi."

Kaiba nodded stiffly and glanced over Yami's shoulder at the students beginning to appear on campus slowly, one by one. "I'll walk you across the street." he said, motioning towards the stoplight.

Yami shook his head, his eyes twinkling beautifully at Kaiba in the morning sunlight, "I can manage. You have to go back in there." Yami said, pointing at the kitchen entrance.

Kaiba nodded again, unsure of what to say. He couldn't help but gaze deeply into Yami's eyes and Yami smiled back at him lovingly.

_This is why every second I spend as Hiro matters._ Kaiba thought rigidly_, This is what I want. I want this kind of relationship with Yami, minus the bullshit. Why can't it be like this when he sees me as myself?_

Yami turned to leave and Kaiba instinctively reached a hand out to brush his knuckles across Yami's cheek, feeling Yami's blonde bangs fall lightly over the tops of his fingers.

Yami reached up to intertwine his fingers through the tops of Hiro's hand which was caressing his face gently.

Kaiba fought with himself for a moment before sliding his hand away, but Yami's grip tightened painfully. Kaiba felt like everything was moving in slow motion as he watched Yami reach his hand up to grab him by the collar, pulling him down into a gentle but deep kiss.

It felt wonderful; It was a welcomed change compared to Yami's behavior towards him last night. Kaiba snaked his other hand around Yami's head and pushing their lips together solidly. He boldly slid his tongue into Yami's mouth, tasting his sweet breath.

_Oh shit, I can't do this right now_. Kaiba thought stiffly, but it was like Yami was magnetic. He pulled Yami closer still, the edge of Yami's belt bumped painfully into his crotch as he pressed himself harder against Yami.

Yami's grip loosened on Hiro's collar as he felt his knees grow weak. He slid his hand upwards to grip Hiro behind the neck, feeling the tips of his waxed hair graze the pads of his fingers. Yami sighed contentedly into the kiss; every sensation was new and delicious, everything about Hiro was hard to resist.

Jason peered out from behind the flaps of the kitchen door, wondering where his employee went and was met with the sight of Yami and Hiro, shamelessly attempting to climb into each other through their mouths. He set his teeth together firmly and walked out of the kitchen, setting a metal tray noisily down onto the counter.

A loud metallic clang rang out from behind them as Jason slammed the tray onto the marble and they jerked away from each other, blushing furiously.

Jason sniffed and rolled up his sleeves. Picking the tray back up from the counter, he silently disappeared through the kitchen door flaps once again.

"I-I'm going to go." Yami said, still red as a beet, looking away from Hiro quickly, knowing that eye contact was dangerous.

Kaiba brought a hand up to brush against his own cheek, , feeling how heated his skin was with the back of his hand, "Yes. And I'll..." his voice trailed off as they both turned around hastily and Yami hurried away, glancing over his shoulder, watching Hiro swing the glass door shut behind him before making his way into the kitchen.

Yami stood at the edge of the street, waiting for the light to turn green, feeling giddy and excited. He couldn't help but throw another glance behind himself, at the bakery, as he felt another strange rush of delight. _He really does like me,_ Yami reassured himself,_ Anzu is wrong about him_.

The walk sign glowed at him and Yami quickly strode across the street, pulling his phone out to text Yugi about the bakery's manager wanting his autograph.

* * *

Kaiba tied the apron around his waist and ducked into the kitchen where Jason was busy mixing two large bowls of batter.

"What can I do for you today?" Kaiba asked calmly glancing around the spacious kitchen.

Jason ignored him and kept mixing vigorously, tapping the whisk heavily along the edge of the glass bowl. Kaiba stood there silently watching him unsure of how to react. The silence stretched on for several long moments as Jason poured the thick mixture out into a cake pan.

He scraped the bowl empty and set it down with a clank on the metal surface. He wiped his brow with the back of a gloved hand and threw Kaiba an exasperated look. "Okay, let's talk boundaries. You can kiss him anywhere you want, middle of the street, at the ends of the earth, you name it, you and..." he gestured at the door mutely, trying to recall Yami's name. "You and him. Just don't do in here, okay buddy?"

Kaiba lowered his head and nodded, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment once again, "I am really sorry."

Jason shook his head sighing, "You two...I get it. Now grab a whisk, we've got to set out some cakes by this afternoon and hang a sign!"

Kaiba blinked at him, "What sign?" he asked numbly.

"The, uh, grand opening sign?" Jason replied, sounding skeptical. "Man, its like you don't even work here. Understandable since I guess you're only here to suck face with your boyfriend."

Kaiba could hear the irritation in Jason's voice and he clenched his fists, aware that he was being lectured by the manager. He now understood he hadn't been given a task because Jason wanted to express his irritation towards his behavior.

Kaiba could appreciate the way Jason amicably handled the situation, but he honestly didn't have the goddamn patience for it. Sucking face with Yami was one of the perks, yes, but he came here to bake, dammit.

Jason spoke again after emptying out the second bowl into a large cake pan, "We open at 11, we've got six hours to get things rolling. My niece will come in around 10 to help out."

He slid the two pans of cake batter into the oven and set the timer, "Honestly, I thought I could get Yugi's autograph before she showed up, it would help motivate her to come in and help out a lot more, y'know?"

"She'll get Yugi's autograph." Kaiba said, trying to speak normally through his clenched teeth. "I'll even ask him myself if she misses the chance."

"I'll hold you to that," Jason said, giving him a stern look, "Now chop chop, recipes are over there," he pointed at a large stack of laminated paper, clipped together in a clear file. "Make as many as you can, the more the better. Do _NOT_ under bake. I'm not about to be sued for any kind of food poisoning here. I will check every single one of your batches to confirm and establish consistency."

Kaiba nodded curtly and made his way over to the stack of recipes, peeling the pages back one by one, he looked for overlapping ingredients in all of the cakes. He quickly pulled out a few that he liked and got to work, hurrying back and forth between the refrigerator and the counter.

The two men worked steadily, Kaiba focused solely on dishing out bowls of cake batter while Jason pushed them into the large ovens and watched them closely. It became a steady rhythm, as bowl after bowl filled with cake batter was emptied into cake pans of various shapes and sizes. All of the ovens in the kitchen were in use, and the temperature was rising in the room.

Before long, thirty thin slabs of cake sat cooling on the racks and Kaiba leaned back against the wall, carefully sipping a bottle of water, admiring his handiwork. The entire counter was lined with rows and rows of cakes, sitting innocently on their cooling racks. They gleamed at Kaiba in the bright kitchen lights and there was a pleasant smell of light vanilla in the air. Jason joined him along the wall, taking a large swig of water noisily.

Kaiba sipped his water again, he could feel Jason's gaze on him as he raised the bottle to his lips. He straightened up and their eyes met. "What?" Kaiba asked, trying not to sound defensive.

"Do you get your nails done?" Jason asked, looking at him curiously, "You've got some princess fingers going on over there."

Kaiba swallowed and lowered his hand down at his side, attempting to hide them. His other hand gripped the bottle of water so hard, the plastic crackled audibly.

Jason laughed loudly and waved his hand casually at Kaiba, "That was a compliment!"

Kaiba opened his mouth to retaliate but Jason hurried away towards the ovens as they began beeping loudly.

Kaiba looked away, willing himself to remain calm._ In an attempt to save myself from awkward questioning from Yami, here I am, being awkwardly complimented by the bakery's manager...what the fuck! _

His phone buzzed in his pocket and Kaiba pulled it out moodily, checking the message. His spirits lifted slightly when he saw it was from Yami.

"Lunch?" was all it said.

Kaiba tapped the phone against his chin thoughtfully. He was very tempted to grab lunch with Yami, but he had a mountain of work waiting for him back at the office. Jason beckoned for him to fill the piping bags with icing and Kaiba guiltily tapped out a response, "I'm sorry, I can't." and he shoved the phone back in his pocket, hurrying towards Jason to help decorate the cakes.

* * *

Yami was trying very hard not to doze off in his seat while the professor lectured slowly at the front. His head was throbbing painfully and he struggled to keep his eyes open.

_Perhaps I should stop visiting Kaiba at in the evenings_, Yami scolded himself lightly, _I should pay him a visit while the sun in still in the sky...I need to thank him properly for the shirt. _

He propped his head up on his hands and stared blankly at the board, deep in thought. His phone buzzed in his pocket, startling him out of his daze. It was from Hiro!

"I'm sorry, I can't," he wrote.

_Ah,_ Yami thought disappointed,_ I suppose I will be paying Kaiba a visit this afternoon. Should I tell Hiro? _

Yami swiped his thumb hesitantly over his screen and scrolled absently through his messages. _I should ask Anzu.._.Yami resolved and he quickly tapped Anzu's name in his phone, typing hastily, "Anzu, I'm going to visit Kaiba this afternoon, should I tell Hiro about this?" and he sent it.

He waited a moment, watching as Anzu's response bubbled up onto the screen, "Of course you should tell Hiro! Aren't you guys technically dating? Why are you visiting Kaiba all of a sudden? Did something happen?"

Yami read the message over twice, immediately regretting mentioning any of this to her. His fingers hovered above the screen as he carefully responded, "How do I know if we are dating? I don't really know what that entails..." Yami sent that message and wrote a second one quickly underneath it, "Perhaps I won't visit Kaiba after all..."

There was a long pause and Yami's phone buzzed lightly with Anzu's reply, "You_ ask _if you guys are dating (if that matters to you). And be careful! Call me if you need anything!"

Yami sent her a quick reply thanking her and pulled up his messages with Hiro and nervously typed out a message. "Hiro, are we ..dating?"

Yami frowned at the phone, unsure if he was using the term properly. He sent it anyway and he tried to pay attention for the rest of the class.

* * *

Kaiba's phone buzzed again in his pocket just as he finished swirling the last drop of cream onto a medium-sized cake. He glanced at Jason who was leaning against the wall, scrolling absentmindedly through his phone. Kaiba set the piping bag down and reached into his pocket cautiously. It was another text from Yami. "Hiro, are we ...dating?"

Kaiba's heart jumped up into his throat as he read this message and he looked uncertainly around him, as if an answer would come to him out of thin air. _What the hell?! _Kaiba fumed, _Where the fuck did this come from?_

Kaiba stared at the text for a long minute before carefully crafting a reply, "Honestly, I'm not sure. Why are you asking all of a sudden?"

He laid the phone down on the counter and pushed the cake off the decorating turntable and onto a gold leafed liner.

"Jason!" Kaiba called loudly, tilting his head down at the cake.

Jason lifted his head to look at the final result, nodding, impressed with Hiro's handiwork. "Nice, a few more of those, and we'll move onto cupcakes! It's almost time for us to open!"

Kaiba nodded and his attention strayed as his phone buzzed loudly on the counter.

Jason jerked his head up and narrowed his eyes at it. "Whatssat?"

Kaiba ducked his head down and tried to look apologetic, "A text from Yami. He..." Kaiba paused, wondering if he should even divulge such sensitive information to a virtual stranger. _Fuck it, _Kaiba thought, _who the fuck else am I going to discuss this with anyway? Definitely not Mokuba._

"He just asked me if we were dating." Kaiba said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Jason let out a barking laugh, "What?! Of course you guys are dating, look at you two, can't get enough of each other...are you two exclusive? Is that what he wants to know?"

"We..." Kaiba paused again, remembering Yami's nightly visits to him in his office.

_Wow_, Kaiba thought darkly, _If I wasn't Hiro, and I didn't' know about those visits, I'd be pretty pissed. Actually, I _am_ pissed. _

Jason read the expression on Kaiba's face clearly and nodded, "Who's the other guy?"

"What?" Kaiba snapped, turning back to slide another cake onto the turntable. He pinched the decorating pipe viciously and tried to stop his hands from shaking. "Who said there was another guy?"

"Your face did." Jason said, taking a swig from his water bottle. "I mean, you can technically date as many people as you want, I'm not one to judge."

"That's not what he was asking." Kaiba said, growling, carefully dropping a swirl of cream onto the cake.

"Well check the message! He replied didn't he?" Jason said, genuinely interested, "I mean, I thought you guys were exclusive, given the way he looks at you."

Upon hearing this, Kaiba's hand tensed too quickly and a large drop of cream slid off the side of the cake and onto the aluminum table top. Cursing, he set the piping bag down and grabbed his phone, reading the message furiously.

"I'm sorry if that question was in poor taste." Yami had written, "A friend brought it up to me so I decided it was best to ask. I hope I didn't upset you... and I just wanted to let you know that I'll be stopping by Kaiba Corporation later this afternoon."

Kaiba stared and stared at the text until the words burned a green afterimage into his eyes. _So, this "friend" I'm assuming, is friendship-girl Anzu. And why is he visiting me later today?! Does he want to establish the fact that he's not dating Hiro, so that he can come solicit Seto Kaiba whenever he fucking wants?_

Jason peered around Hiro's arm and read the text from behind and whistled loudly, causing Kaiba to flinch and step back. "What." Kaiba said roughly, clicking his phone shut, resisting the urge to smash it into the half-decorated cake.

"Kaiba Corporation? I tell you, these famous kids, they all know each other one way or another." Jason said gravely, "Seto Kaiba? Man the stories I hear about him...is he the other guy in this? Damn, that's rough."

_How perceptive_, Kaiba bristled and he couldn't help but ask, "What have you heard?"

Jason's eyes widened at him, "Okay I'm a little worried about you buddy. You don't know the first thing about Yugi Mutou and now you're asking about the richest, most famous guy in this city? Do you actively avoid the news or something? How do you do it? Teach me."

Kaiba inadvertently clenched his fists as he re-worded his question, "I just want to know what you think about him."

"Oh." Jason said as he swirled his finger absently against the counter, "Honestly, I don't really care. I mean you hear things, 'he's an asshole' this, that. But if I ever met the guy, I'd probably shake his hand and get his autograph for my niece." He let out another barking laugh, "His autograph is probably worth something, that guy bleeds money."

Kaiba blinked at him and swallowed thickly, trying to keep his composure.

Jason sobered up and patted Kaiba gently on the shoulder, "I get it. I'm sorry for you pal. If your Yugi-twin is out there meeting up with Seto Kaiba...well," Jason sighed heavily, "Just ...hang in there. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help."

Kaiba's voice caught in his throat as he tried to speak, "Wait. You think, that there's something going on between Yami and..." He couldn't bring himself to say his own name.

Jason threw him a look of deep sympathy, "I know just as much as you do about this, so...I'm sorry. Seto Kaiba can probably easily get his hands on whoever he wants. That man has everything."

_Wrong, wrong!_ Kaiba screamed internally, _If I had everything I wouldn't be standing here talking to you now, would I?!_

"I see." Kaiba managed, and his phone buzzed again. Jason's expression turned into one of pity and he gestured towards the door, "Hiro, you look like you need a break. Go take one, and tread carefully, alright?"

Kaiba felt Jason grab him strongly by the arm and steer him towards the back door, almost dragging him along. As the door opened, cool afternoon air rushed in around them.

Jason looked carefully into Hiro's scowling face, "Hey, this is just my advice. If this Yami of yours is involved with Seto Kaiba, and Mr. Kaiba finds out about you and him, I don't think our livelihood would be safe. Let's just put it that way."

Kaiba nodded mutely and walked through the door. Jason swung the door shut behind him and Kaiba leaned his weight heavily against the brick wall, feeling the stone poke through his thin shirt.

He stared at the phone in his hand for a long moment before finally deciding to reply with nonchalance, "If you're stopping by Kaiba Corporation, tell Kaiba I said hi!" Kaiba paused and then spitefully added another comment, just to fuck with Yami, "If it's not too much trouble, could you also get his autograph? The bakery manager is a collector! :)" Making sure to add the passive-aggressive smiley face, he sent it and felt his blood boil.

Taking several deep breaths, Kaiba looked up at the clear blue sky, realizing he wasn't going to be getting any sleep today.

* * *

Yami looked down as his phone buzzed and he read the text from Hiro, frowning.

_Hiro wants Kaiba's autograph? No, the bakery's manager wants Kaiba's autograph? _

Yami sighed and leaned back into his seat, wondering how he should go about doing this.

_I suppose it makes sense_, Yami mused,_ But...can I ask for such a thing from Kaiba?!_

He tapped out his response to Hiro nervously, "I will try...I'm not sure if Kaiba will respond positively to that request, but I will do it, for you Hiro." and he sent it without looking, he couldn't bring himself to read the message again.

Kaiba felt his phone buzz in his hand and he glanced down, reading the text.

_Oh you're going to have to try very hard to get that autograph for Hiro, Yami_. Kaiba fumed privately as he clicked his phone shut angrily. He closed his eyes and palmed his face lightly; he was so tired. He heard a dog barking in the distance and he furrowed his brow, annoyed.

Suddenly a large, fluffy white dog bounded down the alley and began sniffing around his ankles. Kaiba's eyes shot open as he glared down at the dog, noticing it didn't have a collar or a leash, he backed away from it quickly.

_A stray?!_ He thought frantically, as the dog followed him, continuing to sniff around his shoes, looking up at him with large brown eyes. The dog's fur was pure white, immensely thick and dense; it looked almost like fleece and Kaiba shook his head slightly. _No, too clean to be a stray. _

The enormous dog sat up on it's hind legs, panting excitedly, leaning it's large paws heavily onto his legs, dragging across Kaiba's jeans. The dog's weight was tremendous and Kaiba swallowed nervously, reaching hand out to slowly pat it's head. It's fur was surprisingly bouncy and soft. Kaiba watched as his fingers sank through the dog's fur pleasantly and he smiled in spite of himself. It was like he was touching a cloud.

"Good..boy?" Kaiba said slowly, desperately looking up and down the empty alleyway, looking for it's owner.

The dog smiled wider, continuing to pant loudly, it's tongue hanging loosely out of it's mouth.

_Oh, it must be hot_, Kaiba realized and he patted the dog on the head firmly, twice. "Stay here, I'll get you some water."

The dog barked loudly as Kaiba's hand touched the handle of the door. He turned around, looking at it strangely. The dog sat down in front of him, it's tail thumped rhythmically up and down on the pavement.

_Strange,_ Kaiba thought and he slowly turned around again, reaching for the handle. Once more, the dog barked at him the moment his hand came near the door handle.

Kaiba was starting to lose his patience. "Okay what do you want?" he asked angrily, expecting the dog to understand him.

The dog did nothing and looked at him plainly with it's large brown eyes_, _it's tail still wagging slowly, sweeping across the pavement.

Kaiba sighed as he looked up and down the alleyway again._ If it's owner is looking for him, they probably wouldn't come down here. I should put him in plain sight. _

He turned and made his way down the alleyway, expecting the dog to follow him. The dog did nothing, still sitting obediently by the employee entrance. Kaiba tensed and waved at the dog, gesturing for it to follow him. The dog stared at him blankly, it's tongue hanging out of it's mouth stupidly.

"Come here!" Kaiba cried exasperated, kneeling down slightly and reaching a hand out. Thankfully, the dog seemed to understand. It got up and walked towards him, wagging it's tail excitedly, nudging its head underneath Kaiba's waiting hand. Kaiba felt it's fur puff delightfully underneath his fingers again and he stood up, keeping a light pressure on the dog's head.

"Okay, follow me." Kaiba said, trailing his fingers over the top of the dog's head. The dog licked his fingers suddenly and pressed it's wet nose into the palm of his hand, looking for a treat. Kaiba took a few long steps away from the dog, still holding out his palm, assuming the scent from the cake batter and sugar on his hands was what the dog wanted.

The dog ducked its head and followed him obediently. Relieved, Kaiba walked out of the alleyway looking around for someone, anyone, and his eyes landed on Yami, sitting on his usual bench across the street.

_Is it that time already?! _Kaiba thought, stricken,_ I literally just saw him!_

The dog barked loudly at this heels and Kaiba stroked it's head heavily, "Don't do that!" he said hastily, but it was too late. He saw Yami look up and notice them. Yami stood up suddenly, his arm raised in a small wave.

Kaiba gritted his teeth and waved back stiffly, watching apprehensively as Yami crossed the street, hurrying towards him.

"Hey!" Yami said breathlessly. His eyes trailed slowly over Hiro's handsome face and down towards the dog that was panting obediently at his heels. "Such nice fur!" Yami exclaimed happily, bending down to touch it. The dog snapped at Yami loudly, the bark ringing painfully in Kaiba's ears and he winced, pressing a hand down firmly onto the dog's head.

"Don't touch him, I don't know what he'll do. He's not mine!" Kaiba said fearfully, kneeling down by the dog's head and purposefully flattening its ears in attempt to communicate with it through touch.

"Stop that." Kaiba commanded, looking at the dog darkly, and the dog sat down obediently once again.

Yami watched Hiro stroke the dog's ears with his slender fingers and tame the large dog easily. "He's very big..." Yami said uncertainly.

Hiro nodded, looking strained, "I think I'll take him to a lost and found or something. He's obviously trained, just not very well."

Yami stepped away from them, afraid that the dog would bark loudly at him again. "Well, I came to say goodbye." he said slowly, looking at a group of students chattering loudly while crossing the street.

Kaiba felt his heart race uncertainly, "What?!"

_Goodbye?! _Kaiba thought frantically, _What the fuck?_

"I'm off to see Kaiba for a bit." Yami said seriously, blinking his large amethyst eyes at Hiro.

Kaiba felt the ground shift violently beneath him. _But I'm right here...!_ he thought deliriously. _And I can't be in two places at once, now can I?!_

"N-now?" He choked, feeling the dog lick his fingers again.

"Yes, now." Yami said simply, looking at him strangely, "I'll ask for that autograph for you, but I can't promise anything for certain. Kaiba and I are not on the best of terms."

"You're not?" Kaiba repeated stupidly, feeling the numbness spread through his chest.

Yami frowned and shook his head gravely, "We're really not. Please believe me."

"Then why...are you going to see him?!" Kaiba asked, his voice rising with emotion.

"Hiro ...please." Yami said, looking at him sadly, "Kaiba is-"

Yami was cut off by a shrill cry from behind them, as a small girl rushed in-between them suddenly and threw her arms around the large white dog, crying loudly, "Mei! Oh Mei! Don't run away like that!"

Kaiba withdrew his hand from the dog's head and stepped away from the girl and her dog, giving her room to fasten a collar and leash on it. Kaiba looked over at Yami who wore an expression of slight irritation, having been interrupted.

The girl stood up quickly and adjusted her ponytail which was tied high above her head, with waves of long brown hair hanging from it like a waterfall. She reached over and grabbed Kaiba's hand tightly, "Oh, thank you! She's always running away, I can barely hold onto her sometimes! She's a very rare breed, I was afraid someone kidnapped her! Thank you for keeping her safe, let me pay you back!"

Kaiba looked down at her disdainfully. She was very petite, no taller than Yugi. "No thank you." he replied shortly, inching his hand out of her grasp which was growing clammy.

"No please, I insist! I'm the cashier at this bakery! I'll buy you any cake or pastry you want! I'm sure we can work something out!" She cried desperately, and the dog tugged on the leash as it got up to sniff around Kaiba's ankles again.

"What?" Kaiba said as it slowly dawned on him that this girl was Jason's niece, "Well it's nice to meet you..I work here..."

The girl's eyes widened and she grabbed his hand again tightly, "Ohmigosh! You must be Hiro! I'm June!"

"May and June...?" Hiro said, smiling politely, cupping her small hands in his larger ones, "Matching names with your dog?"

"Oh, no!" The girl laughed brightly, "Her name is spelled "M-e-i" but I never thought of it that way, you're so funny!" She laughed fully again, squeezing his hand comfortingly and Hiro smiled widely, laughing along with her.

Yami's eyes widened as he watched their exchange unfold before him.

_How is he so charming? _Yami wondered, his chest tightening with emotion.

The dog nudged Kaiba's knees with it's nose and Kaiba leaned down to pat it's head again.

"She likes you." June commented, "She's usually barks a lot at strangers, but she's harmless."

Kaiba nodded silently, aware that Yami was watching them carefully.

"Well I'm going to head in, I'll see you inside!" she chirped, and she tugged at the dog's leash, heading towards the entrance of the bakery.

Hiro glanced over at Yami uncertainly, "I hope your visit goes well."

Yami nodded silently, and he turned to leave.

"Wait." Kaiba called, moving towards him steadily. "Finish what you were about to say."

Yami blinked, startled, "Oh, it was nothing." He said hastily, looking away towards the street, his face heating up.

_No, it was something!_ Kaiba thought angrily but all he could do was nod politely and watch Yami slowly make his way up the street. Yami's figure slowly faded in the distance and Kaiba let out a breath tensely, realizing he was in trouble.

_If he's on his way to Kaiba Corp...I need to get there before he does!_ Kaiba turned and rushed in through the employee entrance, barely glancing at the neat rows of beautifully iced cakes. His eyes swept over the room, looking for Jason. He distinctly heard laughter floating in through the entrance and he hurried out of the kitchen, almost tripping over Jason who was laughing and hugging his niece.

"Ah Hiro! Back so soon? I see you met my niece, June! And..fluffy Mei!" Jason leaned down to give the dog a vigorous rub and the dog licked his fingers happily.

"I need to leave." Kaiba said quietly, getting straight to the point.

They stared at him silently for a moment before June spoke up suddenly, "Is everything okay?"

"I've got a...family emergency." Kaiba said darkly, his eyes darting between them readily, aware that this was extremely unprofessional behavior. He still had a few more hours left on his shift.

"Okay, let's head into the back and I want to talk with you." Jason said suddenly, gesturing towards the kitchen doors. "June-bug, you stay here and and get acquainted with the surroundings. Make sure Mei is comfortable outside!"

Kaiba saw June nod and throw them a strange look as she tugged on Mei's leash and led the dog outside slowly. Jason brushed past Kaiba and ducked into the kitchen silently.

A pit of dread was bubbling in Kaiba's stomach as he followed Jason into the kitchen.

"Alright." Jason said quietly, leaning against the counter, looking at him with an expression of deep concern. "Hiro, bud, tell me what this is about."

Kaiba blinked as his voice hitched in his throat, "What do you mean."

"Don't yank me around," Jason said heavily, "I know you're gonna take off to follow your Yugi doppelganger into Kaiba Headquarters. Not wise, if I might add."

"I'm..not.." Kaiba started, but then he stopped, realizing the truth was probably the best way to go about this, "Fine. I am going. And you can't stop me from leaving. Fire me if you want."

Jason opened and shut his mouth as if he couldn't make up his mind about what to say and he crossed his arms firmly across his chest, looking at Kaiba with a strange expression.

Kaiba didn't wait around to hear what Jason had to say. He stormed out of the kitchen and through the back door. As the door began to swing shut, he heard Jason yell at him loudly, "I expect you back here same time tomorrow!"

Kaiba barely registered this as he rushed to his car, yanking the door open, he threw himself into the seat and revved the engine ferociously, glaring at the clock on his dashboard.

_Fuck! _Kaiba cursed, _Yami is probably there already! _

He peeled out of the parking lot and sped off down the narrow streets, almost running over a group of students who were slowly crossing the street.

Kaiba saw them yell at him angrily, giving him the finger and running after his car, but they quickly disappeared in his rear view mirror as he turned the corner and pulled out into a main road and onto the freeway. He sped dangerously along the edge of the road, the concrete barriers rushing past his window in a blur. His grip tightened on the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. Cars honked angrily at him as he cut them off, swerving from lane to lane.

_Why is he coming to visit me in the middle of the goddamn day?_ Kaiba fumed as he shifted down and increased his pressure on the gas pedal. His company phone vibrated in his pocket just as he pulled off the freeway and onto the road nearing his mansion. He could see the tips the rooftop peeking out from behind the tall fir trees surrounding his property. He was so close!

He pulled over onto the sidewalk a few blocks away from his mansion and he dug the phone out from his pocket. It was Mokuba. Kaiba touched the phone to his ear hastily, "What!" he said, trying to keep the frantic desperation from slipping into his voice.

"Um..Seto, Yami is here to see you." Mokuba said softly, and he could hear Isono offering Yami a drink in the background.

Kaiba hit mute on the phone and swore loudly, feeling his head pound heavily with frustration. _I'm too damn late! How the hell do I get into the house without him seeing me?!_

He could hear Mokuba's voice floating through the phone faintly, "Seto? ...Hello? Are you still there?"

"Yeah I'm still here Mokuba." Kaiba growled, shutting off his engine and stepping carefully out of the car. "Tell him I'll be there soon." And he clicked his phone shut, walking swiftly along the sidewalk, his mind racing.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**Cliffhanger?!** How will Seto get into the house without being seen?**  
**

Please look forward to the next chapter! 3

I usually don't write this much dialogue, let me know what you guys think xD  
Eternal love &amp; appreciation for my editor Seket -hugs- who is always helping me improve, always helping me learn!

More reviews = more fics (so be sure to leave a comment validating my existence mmk bbys?)

oxoxo  
ugli


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